Novak Djokovic failed early on in his comeback after a forced break of around a month and a half.
The 34-year-old world number one from Serbia had to admit defeat to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 3:6, 7:6 (7:5), 1:6 after a walk-through in the second round of the Masters tournament in his adopted home of Monte Carlo. After 2:55 hours, the Spaniard converted his second match point to the first win in the third duel with the favorite.
Djokovic had previously had to sit out due to his skepticism about vaccination. He was not allowed to start at the Australian Open and the Masters tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami.
Accordingly “longingly” he had looked forward to the moment of his return and his only second tournament of the season. He missed the competition, said Djokovic, Monte Carlo is “the best place where I can start again”. However, the two-time tournament winner also expected not to be at his top level straight away. That should also come true against Davidovich Fokina.
Despite his early failure in Monte Carlo, Djokovic will not lose his lead in the world rankings. Second-placed Daniil Medvedev is currently sidelined with a hernia. Whether the Russian will be fit for the French Open (May 22 to June 5) is at least questionable.