When you’ve won Rome six times, the place almost starts to feel like home. And for Novak Djokovic, that comfort level at Foro Italico has always been there. This year marked his 19th appearance at the Italian Open, so it’s safe to say he knows those courts better than most.

But this trip to Rome had a very different feel to it. Djokovic was stunned in his opening match by 20-year-old Croatian Dino Prizmic, and the loss clearly hit hard. After the match, the Serbian opened up with a surprisingly honest confession that not many expected to hear.

“It’s not an ideal preparation, to be honest. I don’t recall the last time I had in the last couple of years a preparation where I didn’t have any kind of physical issues or health issues coming into the tournament. There’s always something. Kind of a new reality that I have to deal with. It is frustrating. At the same time, it’s my decision to still perform in that kind of state and conditions. It is what it is,” he said during the post-match press conference.

The 24x Grand Slam champion wasn’t able to keep up with the young qualifier’s bold shots and got outplayed in both the second and third set, and suffered a 6-2, 2-6, 4-6 defeat to Dino Prizmic.

Following the defeat, Djokovic also confirmed that he will not be playing any tournament before the French Open. Notably, the Serb had participated and triumphed at the Geneva Open right before the Roland Garros last year. He had clinched the title by defeating Hubert Hurkacz 5-7, 7-6, 7-6 in what was a grueling final.

“No. This year, no. I’ll just go to Paris straight. It’s the decision. It’s the decision,” the Serb confirmed.

An early exit at the upcoming Grand Slam could see Djokovic’s ranking plummet. The World No. 4 had made it to the semis last year before being handed a straight-set defeat by Jannik Sinner and will lose a lot of points if he gets knocked out in the first few rounds.

It is safe to say that Djokovic wasn’t fully fit coming into the Italian Open. The condition of the right shoulder injury that he had sustained during his fourth-round clash against Jack Draper at the Indian Wells Open may have gotten better, but his shoulder was still taped. Djokovic was clearly struggling physically by the second set as Prizmic raced to a 4-0 lead.

The veteran just couldn’t find his way back after losing the second set as Prizmic clinched the deciding set and wrapped up the match in two hours and 17 minutes. Having been defeated in the opening rounds of both Monte Carlo Masters and Madrid Open last year, this will be the second consecutive year where Djokovic will come into the Roland Garros with no wins in any of the three Masters clay events.

Following his Rome defeat, Djokovic also took a moment to praise Prizmic, who put in one of the best performances of his career. He stated that the 20-year-old has improved his game a lot since they last faced each other at the 2024 Australian Open, where the Serb triumphed in four sets.

“He’s a great competitor, great fighter, a great kid. I’ve known him for some years. Obviously, we speak the same language, so I always wish him all the best. Today he has definitely performed high-level tennis. I told him at the net that his forehand improved a lot. Whatever he has been doing with his team is working out well. He should just keep going,” Djokovic further said.

Prizmic also returned the favor and shared how much it means to get a positive result against his “idol”.

Dino Prizmic opens up on “unbelievable” victory over Novak Djokovic

After winning the match against his childhood hero, Prizmic showed a heartfelt gesture for the six-time Italian Open champion by writing a message for Djokovic on the camera lens. The Croatian penned “Nole it was a pleasure!!”

The 20-year-old highlighted just how big of a win this was for him and added that he wants to stay focused on the tournament and be ready for his next match.

“I mean, for me now, it’s hard to say. I just say now it’s big respect for Novak, he’s my idol, so yeah, it was definitely a great match for me today. I played unbelievable, so I just want to stay focused and to be ready for the next one,” he said during his post-match interview.

This was Prizmic’s fourth match win at the Italian Open, as he had to make it past three qualifiers in order to reach the main draw. The 20-year-old had defeated Chris Rodesch 6-4, 6-3 in the first qualifier before knocking out Federico Bondioli 6-2, 6-4 in the second match. He then sealed his place in the main draw by racking up a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Marton Fucsovics.

Prizmic is set to lock horns against Ugo Humbert in the R32 of the Italian Open. Will the Croatian be able to continue his great run in the tournament, or will he be eliminated before reaching the later stages? Drop your predictions in the comments!