Novak Djokovic is not really having a great season in 2020. Though he looks flawless with his near-perfect record, there are hurdles that pull him down at times. One such obstacle came in the form of qualifier Lorenzo Sonego who defeated Novak 6-2, 6-1 at the 2020 Erste Bank Open.

“For sure it’s the best victory of my life. Novak is the best in the world. Today I played so, so good,” Sonego said in his on-court interview. “It’s unbelievable. It’s amazing.”

Novak Djokovic inarguably entered the ATP Vienna event as the tall favorite. The Serb marched past the first two rounds in straight sets but stumbled to close out the points on certain occasions. But, the path to the title seemed to be carved in Djokovic’s way until 23-year-old Sonego spoilt the party. 

Djokovic had never met Sonego on the ATP tour before, and the element of surprise has taken a huge toll on The Djoker. Before the match, not many would have predicted World No.42 Lorenzo Sonego to upset the 17-time Grand champion, but that is just the beauty of the game. 

In what seemed like a David beating Goliath kind of victory, Sonego cruised to the semi-finals in Vienna by breaking Djokovic five times in the match. But the Serbian failed to break his opponent’s serve even once. 

Lorenzo Sonego records a historic victory against Novak Djokovic

World Number one Djokovic’s humble 6-2, 6-1 loss just proves that he is a mere mortal. But the 33-year-old has set a massive standard for himself over the years. One really can’t easily beat Novak Djokovic on an ordinary day. 

Sonego’s victory is one to remember, as Djokovic has only lost to a player ranked outside the Top 40 once in his career. But a victory for the Italian on Thursday meant that he joins Marco Cecchinato as the only players to achieve the feat. 

Though the scorecard reflects Sonego’s classy dominance, he was put under pressure during the second set. Djokovic held his cool and tried to break the Italian and set up six breakpoints, one after the other. 

Moreover, Djokovic’s 26 unforced errors largely let him down in a match. Moreover, he only posted a meager total of seven winners to add to his insult. Sonego dominated every aspect of the match, right from better serving to challenging play at the net. 

Confidence began right from the serve as Sonego won 80% of his first-serve points against Djokovic. It is an incredible number considering he was facing one of the world’s best returners in Djokovic. This is a massive day and a massive victory for the Italian, and for Djokovic, it is not so merry indeed.