{"id":44286,"date":"2025-04-27T02:32:02","date_gmt":"2025-04-27T02:32:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=44286"},"modified":"2025-04-27T02:32:02","modified_gmt":"2025-04-27T02:32:02","slug":"ailing-djokovic-faces-new-reality-after-losing-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=44286","title":{"rendered":"Ailing Djokovic faces &#8216;new reality&#8217; after losing again"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"sticky-cell css-t73cya-StyledStickyCell ec9stsv1\">\n<figure class=\"css-lqcfdt-StyledFigure e1rue1fc3\"><picture class=\"e1rue1fc2 image css-2txyj0-PictureWithIntrinsicRatio-StyledArticleImage eosncpx0\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"css-16r7l45-StyledImage en5ut4d0\" src=\"https:\/\/images.thewest.com.au\/publication\/C-18498394\/6933b49441c656c6ee8d23416c9bd7d23c26af7e-16x9-x0y0w1280h720.jpg?imwidth=810&amp;impolicy=wan_v3\" alt=\"Novak Djokovic was a gracious loser after his defeat by Italian Matteo Arnaldi (L) in Madrid. (AP PHOTO)\" \/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"e1rue1fc0 figcaption css-fpkd5q-StyledFigCaption-StyledFigcaption e13f1dd25\"><span class=\"css-1jz8t79-StyledFigCaptionText e13f1dd24\"><span class=\"css-1vt5x9l-Caption e13f1dd23\">Novak Djokovic was a gracious loser after his defeat by Italian Matteo Arnaldi (L) in Madrid. (AP PHOTO)<\/span>\u00a0Credit:\u00a0AAP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"BreachScreen\">\n<div class=\"css-1ket735-StyledArticleContent ec9stsv2\">\n<div class=\"css-1qizp4e-StyledNestedGrid ec9stsv4\">\n<aside>\n<div class=\"ec9stsv3 css-1wjn2od-StyledSharing-TheWestStyledSharing e1sjvqe43\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div>\n<div id=\"ArticleContent\" class=\"css-1bgobxc-StyledBlockContent eh7f8mi2\">\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">After losing a second-straight opening match and three in a row overall, Novak Djokovic admits he is facing a &#8220;new reality&#8221; in his two decades of pro tennis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">Djokovic&#8217;s public coming-to-terms with his rare losing streak came after he fell in straight sets to Italian Matteo Arnaldi in his first match of the Madrid Open on Saturday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">The 37-year-old came to Spain after also losing his opener to Alejandro Tabilo at the Monte Carlo Masters two weeks ago and, before that, the Miami Open final.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">&#8220;I was hoping I can play one more match than I played in Monte Carlo. It&#8217;s kind of a new reality for me, I have to say, trying to win a match or two, not really thinking about getting far in the tournament,&#8221; Djokovic said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">The struggles by the record winner of 24 grand slam men&#8217;s singles titles coincide with the start of the clay-court swing, which culminates in the French Open next month.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">&#8220;It&#8217;s a completely different feeling from what I had in 20-plus years of professional tennis,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s a challenge for me mentally to really face these kinds of sensations on the court, going out early now, regularly, in tournaments.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">Arnaldi won 6-3 6-4, delaying Djokovic&#8217;s search for a career 100th title, the Serb undermined by 32 unforced errors to his opponent&#8217;s 18, with his serve broken three times.<\/p>\n<div class=\"css-1t0xcvl-StyledInlineTheGameBanner eqv03uy0\">\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">&#8220;He&#8217;s my idol, he&#8217;s always been,&#8221; Arnaldi said of Djokovic. &#8220;To play him at a stage like this was already a victory for me. He&#8217;s not at his best right now, so I came on court to try to play my best tennis and win &#8211; and it happened.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">Djokovic is still seeking his first title of the season after winning his 99th title last August at the Paris Olympics.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">He has lost four finals since then. The only two players to reach the 100-title milestone are Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Novak Djokovic was a gracious loser after his defeat by Italian Matteo Arnaldi (L) in Madrid. (AP PHOTO)\u00a0Credit:\u00a0AAP After losing a second-straight opening match and three in&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":44290,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44286","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tennis"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Ailing Djokovic faces &#039;new reality&#039; after losing again - 24\/7 News America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=44286\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ailing Djokovic faces &#039;new reality&#039; after losing again - 24\/7 News America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Novak Djokovic was a gracious loser after his defeat by Italian Matteo Arnaldi (L) in Madrid. 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