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What we learned from Novak Djokovic’s loss in Rome
TL;DR
Novak Djokovic lost to Croatian qualifier Dino Prizmic in the Round of 64 at the 2026 Italian Open. Despite winning the first set, Djokovic lost the next two sets, marking a surprising defeat.
Key points
- Novak Djokovic lost to Dino Prizmic in Round of 64
- Djokovic won the first set but lost the next two
- Prizmic is now ranked 79th in the world
Novak DjokovicDino PrizmicItalian Open
Novak Djokovic lost his Round of 64 match at the 2026 Italian Open to Croatian qualifier Dino Prizmic.
Prizmic is 20 years old and now at a career best ranking of 79th in the world.
Djokovic jumped out to a lead, winning the first set before dropping the next two.
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Djokovic is human
Despite being the greatest men’s tennis player of all time, Djokovic is showing that as he gets older, he is human. He has not played competitive tennis since Indian Wells in early March.
That two month layoff to deal with physical issues is signficant for an athlete about to turn 39 years old on May 22. That is especially true when he is playing someone half his age who has already won matches on the surface at this tournament.
We do not know how much clay court training he did, coming from hardcourt season and dealing with an injury. Djokovic was likely hoping to win a few rounds to get himself more prepared for Roland Garros.
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He can beat most of his peers in best of three set matches
Though a winning result did not happen on Friday, Djokovic can still beat many of his peers. The question since winning the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics is if he can win a Grand Slam which is two weeks of best of five set tennis.
His best chance was at the 2026 Australian Open where he had a walkover (Jakub Mensik) and a retirement (Lorenzo Musetti) in consecutive rounds. The physical toll on his body was significantly less, but Djokovic lost to Sinner in five sets in the semifinals.
It does not appear that he can win another Grand Slam at his current level. However, he has the ability to raise his level and defy Father Time. He did in Paris (which was best of three sets). Tennis fans should never count him out until he is ready to walk away from the game which he has said will be at the .
Q&A
What was the outcome of Novak Djokovic's match at the 2026 Italian Open?
Novak Djokovic lost his Round of 64 match to Dino Prizmic after winning the first set.
Who is Dino Prizmic and what is his ranking after defeating Djokovic?
Dino Prizmic is a 20-year-old Croatian qualifier who achieved a career-best ranking of 79th in the world after defeating Djokovic.
What does Djokovic's loss in Rome indicate about his current form?
Djokovic's loss suggests he may be experiencing challenges in maintaining his top performance level, as he was unable to close out the match after winning the first set.