"I just ran out of gas completely, not feeling your legs on clay, it's mission impossible" - Novak Djokovic after loss to Davidovich Fokina in Monte Carlo
Novak Djokovic suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in his second-round match at the Monte-Carlo Masters on Tuesday. After the loss, Djokovic revealed that he "ran out of gas" in the third set and could not keep up with the Spaniard.
The Serb was playing his first match in almost two months and struggled for any kind of rhythm. He also appeared gassed in the third set and looked to shorten the rallies, leading to unforced errors.
Speaking to the media after the match, the 20-time Major champion admitted that he was disappointed with the way he played.
"Well, of course I'm disappointed," said the Serb. "No one likes to lose. We are professional athletes. This is what we do. We go out on the court to compete and try to win against each other."
Djokovic lost the first set 6-3 but won the second in a tie-break. However, he completely collapsed in the decider, winning just one game.
The Serb admitted that he lacked energy in the third set, which proved costly on a surface as demanding as clay.
"Yeah, I didn't like the way I felt physically in the third," he added. "I just ran out of the gas completely. Just couldn't really stay in the rally with him. I mean, if you can't stay in the rally, not feeling your legs on the clay, it's mission impossible."
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However, the World No. 1 stressed that he would delve deeper into the reasons behind his physical collapse.
"So I don't like that, that kind of feeling I experienced in the third, but, you know, I'm going to look with my team into reasons why that was the case and go back to the drawing board and hopefully next week will be better in Belgrade," he added.
"I'm going to keep going and hopefully build my form for Roland Garros" - Novak Djokovic
During the press conference, Novak Djokovic was asked if he would like to change anything about his season if given a chance. He shot down the suggestion, highlighting his disinterest in the hypothetical.
"No, I don't do those "what ifs." It is what it is," Novak Djokovic said. "Obviously disappointing to lose a match and to feel this way on the court."
Wow.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina gets the biggest win of his life, beating the world number one Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-1 to reach the 3rd round in Monte Carlo.
Djokovic with rare back to back losses (only time he lost back to back matches in 2021 was in Tokyo...) https://t.co/PIxCHBQTJm
The 34-year-old made it clear that he intends to leave no stone unturned in his preparations ahead of Roland Garros. He also pointed out that he was aware it would take him time to find his feet on clay, which has been the case with him in the past.
"But again, I'm not gonna stop here. I'm going to keep going and hopefully build my form for Roland Garros," he said. "You know, that's the big goal of the clay season."
"Look, I knew a few days ago when I spoke to you I knew that it's going to take some time for me to really feel my best on the clay," the Serb added. "I mean, that's historically always been the case. Never played very well in the opening tournaments of the clay season. But it's okay. You know, obviously it is what it is. I have to accept the defeat and keep working."
Also Check Out :-Monte Carlo Masters 2022 Results