Once again, Novak Djokovic‘s dream of securing his 100th title has hit a snag. Since the season began, he has given it his all, reaching the semifinals at the Australian Open and Miami. However, health issues have been a persistent challenge. A hamstring tear and an eye infection, which bothered him against Jakub Mensik last month, continued to affect him into the clay season. The latest casualty? The Monte Carlo title. Djokovic, a two-time champion of this tournament in 2015 and 2017, suffered a first-round loss to Alejandro Tabilo, raising alarm bells among many—except Andy Roddick.

Speaking to Tennis Channel following the match, the TC Live crew pointed out that Monte Carlo might not be Djokovic’s main hunting ground according to stats. Noting, “When he won at the French Open 2016, 2021, and 2023, he didn’t play great in Monte Carlo as well. He lost in the second round in 2016, a couple of Round of 16s.” Although he faced early exits in these years, he came back stronger in matches leading up to Roland Garros, even winning a few titles along the way. However, with his winless streak still ongoing, they asked Roddick: “This is kind of normal, isn’t it?”

The former world No.1 wasn’t fazed at all. He said, “Yeah, it should be viewed as normal. I don’t think the base level for Novak, for a successful year, is two majors anymore. I think the question is: Can I build up my season? Can I peak for the majors right? Can I be as good once as I ever was, right? I think that matters a little bit more.” With his legacy of 24 Grand Slams and 99 titles, Novak has enough under his wing to try his hand at every tournament now.

But Monte Carlo is different. Given that he’s only won this title twice before throughout his twenty-year career, it reflects not his lack of skills on clay but his choice to do better there, according to Roddick. He noted, “I don’t know if we would have seen Novak here in this tournament, frankly or in the last couple of years if he didn’t live up the street. I think this is paid practice for him.”

While he travels to the rest of the world, Novak’s primary residence is said to be in Monaco. He reportedly moved there in 2000, which cuts down on travel time, brings him home at the end of the day, and gives him enough time to rest and recuperate before heading back out onto clay. As Andy pointed out, “He’s going to reset the next Monday come, he’s still going to be in Monte Carlo, training to get ready for the clay court season.”

In 2016, after a first-round exit at Monte Carlo, Djokovic won the Madrid title and rebounded from a loss in the Italian Open final to clinch the French Open. Similarly, in 2021, he overcame a round-of-16 defeat to Dan Evans, reached the finals in Belgrade and Rome, and ultimately triumphed at the French Open against Stefanos Tsitsipas. By 2023, despite early losses at Monte Carlo, SRPSKA, and Rome, Djokovic once again secured the French Open title. So, could we expect that from him again?

Roddick seems positive: “So, I don’t put a ton of stock in this, maybe there’s a little bit of a match up issue but if Novak gets a good run of three or four weeks into the French Open, even lost to Tabilo twice, I know who I’d be taking in this matchup three out of five sets.” But while the stats speak for themselves, Novak isn’t too pleased with his form at this 1000s event. It’s a tough pill to swallow for the almost 38-year-old.

Novak’s candid admission following early exit in Monaco

Novak Djokovic’s clay season with a straight-sets loss, 3-6, 4-6, to world No. 32 Alejandro Tabilo. The defeat was a setback for the Serbian star, who had built momentum during the Miami Open. Despite reaching the final there, Djokovic faltered against Jakub Mensik in the tournament’s conclusion.

After the match, Djokovic expressed his dissatisfaction candidly. “I expected myself at least to have put in a decent performance. Not like this. It was horrible,” he said. He acknowledged anticipating a tough match but was surprised by how poorly he played. “I did not have high expectations. I knew I’m going to have a tough opponent and I knew I’m going to probably play pretty bad. But this bad, I didn’t expect,” he admitted.

Nole continued, reflecting on his performance with a mix of frustration and realism. “I was hoping it was not going to happen, but it was quite a high probability I’m going to play this way. I don’t know. [It was] just horrible.” Despite his own struggles, he gave credit to his opponent, showing respect for Tabilo’s strong play.

Next up for Djokovic is the Madrid Open, starting April 23. With time to regroup and recalibrate, he’ll aim to bounce back and regain his footing on clay. The question now stands: Can Novak rise again? Share your thoughts with us below!