MADRID — After shedding a second straight opening match and three in a row general, Novak Djokovic mentioned he was dealing with a “new actuality” in his 20 years of professional tennis.
Djokovic is coming to phrases together with his uncommon shedding streak got here after he fell in straight units to Matteo Arnaldi in his first match of the Madrid Open on Saturday.
Djokovic, 37, got here to Spain after shedding his opener to Alejandro Tabilo on the Monte Carlo Masters two weeks in the past and, earlier than that, the Miami Open remaining.
“I hoped I can play another match than I performed in Monte Carlo,” Djokovic mentioned. “[It’s] sort of a brand new actuality for me, I’ve to say, making an attempt to win a match or two, not likely eager about getting far within the match.”
The struggles by the winner of 24 Grand Slam titles coincide with the beginning of the clay-court swing that culminates within the French Open subsequent month.
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“It is a utterly totally different feeling from what I had in 20-plus years {of professional} tennis,” he mentioned. “It is a problem for me mentally to actually face these sorts of sensations on the court docket, going out early now repeatedly in tournaments.”
Arnaldi received 6-3, 6-4, delaying Djokovic’s seek for a profession a hundredth title. The Serb was undermined by 32 unforced errors to his opponent’s 18 and had his serve damaged 3 times.
It was the primary assembly between Djokovic and the Forty fourth-ranked Arnaldi of Italy.
“He is my idol. He is at all times been,” Arnaldi mentioned of Djokovic. “To play him at a stage like this was already a victory for me. He is not at his greatest proper now, so I got here on court docket to attempt to play my greatest tennis and win, and it occurred.”
Arnaldi raised his arms and turned to the group after placing a winner that gave him a second-set break. Djokovic tried to hit proper again and had three break factors, however Arnaldi rallied to avoid wasting his serve and completed off the three-time champion.
He wrote “OMG” on the digicam when given the marker for the now customary message by the winner to the tv viewers.
Djokovic continues to be looking for his first title of the season after profitable his 99th title in August on the Paris Olympics. He has misplaced 4 finals since then. The one two gamers to succeed in the 100-title milestone are Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103).
Arnaldi will subsequent face Damir Dzumhur after he rallied previous Sebastian Baez 1-6, 6-1, 6-2.
Sixth-seeded Alex de Minaur beat Lorenzo Sonego 6-2, 6-3 and strikes on to play Denis Shapovalov after the Canadian defeated Kei Nishikori 6-1, 6-4. Stefanos Tsitsipas fought again towards Jan-Lennard Struff 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 and can face Tenth-seeded Lorenzo Musetti, who beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-6 (3), 6-2. Cameron Norrie additionally got here again to down Jiri Lehecka 2-6, 6-4, 6-0. He’ll play Gabriel Diallo.
Different males’s winners included fifth-seeded Jack Draper and Fifteenth-seeded Grigor Dimitrov.
Second-seeded Iga Swiatek noticed off Linda Noskova 6-4, 6-2 because the defending champion superior to the spherical of 16. Swiatek will play Diana Shnaider within the quarterfinals.
Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva reached the final 16 for the third straight 12 months by defeating Magdalena Frech 7-5, 6-3. Andreeva, ranked No. 7, has but to lose earlier than the Madrid fourth spherical.
She reached that stage for the primary time in 2023 whereas taking part in as a wild card in her second WTA essential draw. Final 12 months, her first huge quarterfinals got here within the Spanish capital.
“I used to be very, very nervous,” Andreeva mentioned. “I nonetheless wrestle to search out my greatest tennis in Madrid. Tremendous glad that I may handle to play constant all through the entire match.”
Andreeva, who will flip 18 on Tuesday, will subsequent face Ukrainian qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva, who defeated 18th-seeded Liudmila Samsonova in three units.
People Coco Gauff and Madison Keys additionally superior with straight-sets wins. Fourth-seeded Gauff beat compatriot Ann Li 6-2, 6-3, whereas the fifth-seeded Keys edged Anna Kalinskaya 7-5, 7-6 (3).
