BEVERLY HILLS, April 25, (THEWILL) – Tennis World number one player Novak Djokovic was left intensely frustrated with his game when he lost to Russian professional, Aslan Karatsev, in Belgrade, at a home event organised by his brother at The Novak Tennis Centre.
As part of the Serb’s preparation for the French Open, Djokovic was expected to thrive at the event only to suffer the second shock defeat in as many weeks. His initial loss came in the last 16 of the Monte Carlo Masters, where Dan Evans upset the bookies by beating Djokovic fair and square.
In his introspective reaction to his latest loss, the classy Djokovic praised Karatsev after what he said was a forgettable evening for himself and spoke in candid fashion about what he needs to do ahead of Roland Garros this year.
His comments came at a virtual news conference after the loss, where he said: “Hats off to Karatsev, he was bold and deserved to win. I will probably not be able to recollect all the memorable rallies in this match because I lost.
“I’m not happy with my performance, I put up a fight but he delivered great shots every time he needed to. I was unlucky at times, it all came down to one or two shots but I had too many ups and downs throughout the match.”
Djokovic displayed his forward-long perspective when he said: “Roland Garros is the main goal but I need to play better if I’m thinking about doing something there. I have a lot of work ahead of me.”
The 27-year-old Russian, who handed him his latest loss, said about his victory: “At the Australian Open in Melbourne I felt like I was playing against a wall but this is a different surface and I was focused.
“You have to put in like 200 percent to beat this guy, it’s like playing against a wall. This is definitely [the biggest win of my career], it’s the world No 1. I’m really happy, I put everything on the court. The match was long. I’m really happy with my performance today.”
Djokovic is in the main draw for the Madrid Open but is yet to confirm if he will play at the event, which will feature 13-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal with the possibility of the Serb and Spaniard meeting if they advance beyond the early stages.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
