Tennis – Qatar Open – Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, Doha, Qatar – February 18, 2025, Serbian Novak Djokovic loses 32 matches against Italy’s Matteobrettini Reuters/Ibrahim Al Omali It looks like it did
Novak Djokovic was surprised 7-6 (4) 6-2 by Matteo Berrettini in the first round of the Qatar Open on Tuesday.
Berettini played brilliantly to knock out two champions in an hour and 35 minutes, in order to secure his first victory over his top 10 opponents since January 2023.
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“That’s what I’m trying to do,” said former world number six Berettini, who lost all four previous matches with the Serbs.
“I played him in the most important tournament on the tour, and there was the honor and joy to play him. I wish I had won one of these matches.”
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World No. 35 Berrtini, who voted for ATP’s comeback player last year, will face Dutch Talong Leakspool in the next round.
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Djokovic, the 24x Grand Slam winner, aiming for his 100th ATP title, has been playing his first singles match since retiring in the Australian Open Semi-Final due to a hamstring injury.
The 37-year-old, who he said last week was “almost fully recovered,” has not lost his first round match since the 2022 Monte Carlo Masters were defeated by Alejandro Davidevich Fokina.
Djokovic now turns his attention to the doubles event, pairing Finn Hari Heliovara with British Henry Patem and Spanish Fernando Verdasko in the quarter-finals.
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