{"id":44549,"date":"2025-04-28T03:11:48","date_gmt":"2025-04-28T03:11:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=44549"},"modified":"2025-04-28T03:11:48","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T03:11:48","slug":"novak-djokovic-opens-up-about-his-opening-round-exit-at-the-madrid-open-%f0%9f%98%af","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=44549","title":{"rendered":"Novak Djokovic opens up about his opening round exit at the Madrid Open \ud83d\ude2f…"},"content":{"rendered":"

Struggling with his form, Novak Djokovic is yet to win a match on clay in the 2025 season.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Novak<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Novak Djokovic (via X)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

It\u2019s been a rough ride for\u00a0Novak Djokovic<\/strong>\u00a0recently. The Serb has once again been knocked out in the opening round of a tournament in 2025, this time in Madrid at the hands of\u00a0Matteo Arnaldi<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Speaking after the match, there has been speculation about Djokovic potentially playing his last match in Madrid this year. The former World No. 1 hasn\u2019t denied those talks but remained optimistic about returning to this court again.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

It could be, I\u2019m not sure if I\u2019ll return. I don\u2019t know. I will definitely come back, but I\u2019m not sure as a player. I hope it\u2019s not my last match here, but it could be.<\/em><\/p>\n

Novak Djokovic said in his post-match press conference<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n

Djokovic has found success in Madrid, just as he has on almost every court he has played on in his career. The Serb is a three-time champion here, with title wins in 2011, 2016, and 2019.<\/p>\n

However, this year, much like most of the season, the Serb has been out of touch. In fact, the 37-year-old is yet to win a match on clay this season, as he was\u00a0also knocked out in the opening round of Monte Carlo\u00a0earlier this month.<\/p>\n

Novak Djokovic dismisses \u2018favorite\u2019 tag for Roland Garros<\/h2>\n

Novak Djokovic has refused the tag of being a favorite for this year\u2019s Roland Garros. The Serb is a three-time former champion at the French Open but admits he will come into this year\u2019s edition as an underdog.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\"Novak
Novak Djokovic (via Instagram\/Rolex Monte Carlo Masters)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

Pressure is part of the sport, part of what we do at these levels, it never goes away, although now it\u2019s a different kind of pressure. Every time I step on the court, I feel nerves, I feel the pressure other players feel, also the excitement. I still enjoy competing; it has become more challenging, honestly, but I\u2019ll give it my all in the upcoming Grand Slams. I\u2019m not going to Roland Garros as one of the favorites. Maybe that will help.<\/em><\/p>\n

Novak Djokovic said in his post-match press conference<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n

Funnily enough, Djokovic has not lost a match at Roland Garros in over two years. In 2023, he won his 23rd Grand Slam in Paris. In 2024, he withdrew from his quarterfinal against\u00a0Casper Ruud<\/strong>\u00a0due to a meniscus tear. A couple of months later, he won the Olympic gold medal at the Paris Games.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Hence, he doesn\u2019t have a losing habit on the Paris dirt. However, looking at his form as of late, it will be hard to see him challenge the likes of\u00a0Carlos Alcaraz<\/strong>\u00a0and Jannik Sinner for the big prize.<\/p>\n

Novak Djokovic stunned in Madrid<\/h2>\n

Matteo Arnaldi shocked\u00a0Novak Djokovic\u00a0on Saturday at the Mutua Madrid Open. The Italian played fearless tennis and beat the fourth seed. Arnaldi defeated the three-time Madrid champion 6-3, 6-4 in the second round.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\"Novak
Novak Djokovic (via X\/We Love Tennis)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The young Italian grew up admiring Djokovic. Facing his idol, he showed no fear. He stayed aggressive and smart from the first point to the last.<\/p>\n

Arnaldi used the whole court very well. He mixed powerful shots with clever drop shots. This made it hard for Djokovic to find his rhythm. Djokovic made 32 unforced errors, 17 of them from his backhand. He tried to attack early but missed too often. Arnaldi took his chances and earned the biggest win of his career.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Struggling with his form, Novak Djokovic is yet to win a match on clay in the 2025 season. Novak Djokovic (via X) It\u2019s been a rough ride… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":44553,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44549","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tennis"],"yoast_head":"\nNovak Djokovic opens up about his opening round exit at the Madrid Open \ud83d\ude2f... - 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=44549\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Novak Djokovic opens up about his opening round exit at the Madrid Open \ud83d\ude2f... - 24\/7 News America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Struggling with his form, Novak Djokovic is yet to win a match on clay in the 2025 season. Novak Djokovic (via X) It\u2019s been a rough ride...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=44549\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"24\/7 News America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-04-28T03:11:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/4-194.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1350\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=44549\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=44549\",\"name\":\"Novak Djokovic opens up about his opening round exit at the Madrid Open \ud83d\ude2f... - 24\/7 News America\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=44549#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=44549#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/4-194.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-28T03:11:48+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-28T03:11:48+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4fd584257b8aaef08c4e2bc73ee6a914\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=44549#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=44549\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=44549#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/4-194.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/4-194.jpg\",\"width\":1080,\"height\":1350},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=44549#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Novak Djokovic opens up about his opening round exit at the Madrid Open \ud83d\ude2f…\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/\",\"name\":\"24\/7 News America\",\"description\":\"Breaking Stories, Real Insights"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4fd584257b8aaef08c4e2bc73ee6a914\",\"name\":\"Admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ab07af1f129ef9c67f3a58e6273eac4d8eb51a1cb066ea995eb6d5f03eceb61b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ab07af1f129ef9c67f3a58e6273eac4d8eb51a1cb066ea995eb6d5f03eceb61b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Admin\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?author=2\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Novak Djokovic opens up about his opening round exit at the Madrid Open \ud83d\ude2f... - 24\/7 News America","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=44549","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Novak Djokovic opens up about his opening round exit at the Madrid Open \ud83d\ude2f... - 24\/7 News America","og_description":"Struggling with his form, Novak Djokovic is yet to win a match on clay in the 2025 season. Novak Djokovic (via X) It\u2019s been a rough ride...","og_url":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=44549","og_site_name":"24\/7 News America","article_published_time":"2025-04-28T03:11:48+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1080,"height":1350,"url":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/4-194.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Admin","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=44549","url":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=44549","name":"Novak Djokovic opens up about his opening round exit at the Madrid Open \ud83d\ude2f... - 24\/7 News America","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=44549#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=44549#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/4-194.jpg","datePublished":"2025-04-28T03:11:48+00:00","dateModified":"2025-04-28T03:11:48+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4fd584257b8aaef08c4e2bc73ee6a914"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=44549#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=44549"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=44549#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/4-194.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/4-194.jpg","width":1080,"height":1350},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=44549#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Novak Djokovic opens up about his opening round exit at the Madrid Open \ud83d\ude2f…"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/","name":"24\/7 News America","description":"Breaking Stories, Real Insights"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4fd584257b8aaef08c4e2bc73ee6a914","name":"Admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ab07af1f129ef9c67f3a58e6273eac4d8eb51a1cb066ea995eb6d5f03eceb61b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ab07af1f129ef9c67f3a58e6273eac4d8eb51a1cb066ea995eb6d5f03eceb61b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Admin"},"url":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?author=2"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44549","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=44549"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44549\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44554,"href":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44549\/revisions\/44554"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/44553"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=44549"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=44549"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=44549"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}