Novak Djokovic admits bottle incident could've been a factor in shocking Tabilo loss at Rome Open
ATPMonday, 13 May 2024 at 07:11
Novak Djokovic was thumped 6-2, 6-3 by Alejandro Tabilo on Sunday afternoon as his Rome Open campaign came to an end fairly abruptly in a match where he didn't have a single break opportunity. But could there be more to it.
Djokovic was hit by a bottle when he was signing autographs after defeating Corentin Moutet earlier in the week and social media users during his loss to Tabilo were quick to point this out as a potential reason why. The World No.1 of course hasn't been himself all season and has yet to reach a final, but he didn't rule it out.
"I don't know to be honest," he said. "I have to check that. Training was different. I was going for kind of easy training yesterday. I didn't feel anything, but I also didn't feel the same. Today under high stress, it was quite bad. Not in terms of pain, but in terms of this balance. Just no coordination."
"Completely different player from what it was two nights ago. Could be I don't know. I have to do medical checkups and see what's going on." He will have at least a week now to recoup with Roland Garros soon round the corner and he left the Rome Open certainly with more questions than answers.
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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