“For us, better if he doesn’t show up”: The Djokovic-beater who’d avoid a Davis Cup rematch

Alejandro Tabilo has looked ahead to a potential reunion with Novak Djokovic in the Davis Cup. The former World No. 19 introduced himself to the tennis world by stunning "Nole" at the 2024 Rome Open, handing the 24-time Grand Slam champion a tough 6-2, 6-3 defeat during a crisis moment for the Serbian in the middle of the clay swing.

Tabilo achieved his best Masters 1000 campaign so far on that occasion—reaching the semifinals in a dream week—but ended up falling to eventual champion Alexander Zverev. He managed to stay in the top 30 for the rest of the season, establishing himself as a name to watch on Tour after making his mark by beating the former World No. 1.

Nole had a chance to avenge the surprise defeat a year later. They met again at the Monte-Carlo Masters this year, where Tabilo arrived as World No. 32 against No. 5 Djokovic—who had been a finalist at the Miami Open just two weeks prior. However, the left-hander once again overcame Nole in straight sets, becoming one of the few players to hold a positive head-to-head (H2H) record against the Serbian with at least two matches played.

They met for the last time just a month ago at the Hellenic Championships, where Djokovic finally beat the Chilean—this time on hardcourts—in a tournament where he ended up taking the title. Regardless, Tabilo still holds a positive 2-1 record, a significant feat considering only seven players in history have a positive H2H against Djokovic (min. 2 matches)—of which only three are active.

The Davis Cup draw determined a tough matchup for Serbia, who must visit Chile in South America for the Qualifiers in February. The South Americans boast three former top-20 players in Cristian Garin, Nicolas Jarry, and Alejandro Tabilo, forming a competitive team capable of pulling off more than one surprise.

Perhaps the name that resonates most for Djokovic is Alejandro Tabilo. Alongside Tabilo, the only active players with a favorable H2H against Djokovic are Nick Kyrgios (2-1)—who has played only a handful of matches in the last three seasons—and Czech Jiri Vesely—who is currently ranked outside the top 1200 and hasn't been in the top 100 for over three years.

Despite the record, Tabilo does not hide his great respect for the 24-time Grand Slam champion. In a recent interview, he admitted he would prefer Nole to skip the February Davis Cup series and not travel to Chile. “It’s going to be a very tough series against Serbia, and we’ll see if Djokovic comes," Tabilo said to En Cancha. "Obviously, for the public, it would be incredible if he comes, but for us, I prefer he doesn't, haha.”

The South American praised the Serbian team beyond their superstar leader, though he acknowledged the Chileans will arrive with confidence to win the series. "I’ve beaten Djere, Lajović, and Kecmanović too, so it’s going to be a nice series. Hopefully, we do our best and bring some joy. It seems we’ve been doing very well at home, so hopefully, we use that home advantage in our favor," added the 2025 Chengdu champion.

"We hope a lot of people come to support, whether Djokovic arrives or not, and we’ll go out with everything to try and give the series to Chile. It would be nice to play against him in Chile, with the whole crowd. It would be incredible."

The Chilean No. 2 was recently involved in a controversy after being announced as part of the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) in Guadalajara, scheduled precisely for the weekend of February 5-7 (clashing with the Davis Cup). The President of the Chilean Tennis Federation quickly criticized Tabilo, and the player ultimately retracted his participation in the UTS, assuring it was an error regarding the dates.

"It was a misunderstanding, obviously also my fault for how everything happened and reposting it at that time, but these are things I’m learning," Tabilo noted. "We had a mistake with the calendar and also we weren't on great terms with the Federation, but I spoke a bit with Nico [Massú, the captain], we spent a good time talking and we are very motivated."

(Minimum 2 matches played)

• Andy Roddick: 5-4

• Marat Safin: 2-0

• Jiri Vesely: 2-0

• Nick Kyrgios: 2-1

• Fernando Gonzalez: 2-1

• Ivo Karlovic: 2-1

• Alejandro Tabilo: 2-1