In a shocking turn of events at the Italian Open, Novak Djokovic, the world number one, suffered a surprising defeat in the round of 32 at the hands of Alejandro Tabilo, the world number 32. The Chilean-Canadian player outplayed Djokovic, winning the match 2-6, 3-6. This unexpected loss marked Djokovic’s second early exit from a tournament, leaving fans and fellow players stunned.
Taylor Fritz, who has faced Djokovic nine times on the ATP Tour without a single victory, was particularly surprised by the result. After defeating Sebastian Korda in his match, Fritz was informed of Djokovic’s defeat and shared a comical “wow” reaction. This rare occurrence of Djokovic losing early in a tournament raised questions about the possible reasons behind his unexpected exit.
Djokovic’s defeat came just days after he accidentally hit his head on a water bottle while signing autographs, causing a cut and some bleeding. The Serbian star admitted that he felt off-balance and lacked coordination during the match, hinting at a possible impact from the head injury. This defeat marked the first time Djokovic exited a tournament before the quarterfinals, raising concerns about his upcoming French Open campaign.
As speculation swirls around the reasons for Djokovic’s loss, some are pointing to Taylor Fritz’s superstitions as a possible factor. Fritz’s girlfriend, Morgan Riddle, revealed that Fritz is a superstitious person and shared a story about their rituals during his successful Indian Wells Masters 2022 campaign. Could their superstitions have played a role in Djokovic’s surprising defeat? Tennis fans are left wondering as the Italian Open continues to deliver unexpected outcomes.