Come back, get out.
Unvaccinated, undesirable in Australia, Novak Djokovic (still not vaccinated) who had only played 3 matches in 2022 (eliminated in the quarter-finals in Dubai in February by the Czech Jiri Vesely) launched, this Tuesday in Monte-Carlo, his clay court season.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (22; 46th in the world) turned the comeback into a nightmare 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1.
The Serb takes his earliest defeat since a second-round elimination (against Slovak Martin Klizan) in Barcelona in 2018.
Broken in his second service game and quickly led 4-1 in the first set, Novak Djokovic quickly plunged back into the reality of a circuit that did not wait for him.
The Serb lacked rhythm, bearings, fluidity, lightness in movement against a player at ease on clay (quarter-finalist in Monte-Carlo in 2021, eliminated by Stefanos Tsistipas; quarter-finalist at Roland -Garros in 2021, stopped by Alexander Zverev).
Deprived of his ability to chain, lacking in confidence (50% of points scored on his 1st serve during the 1st set), the Serb on a court crossed by gusts of wind was never able to free himself, was content to deploy a defensive game.
Quickly deprived of his service, led 2-0, Novak Djokovic let Davidovich Fokina (winner of Wimbledon juniors in 2017, former world No. 2 among juniors) put a firm hand on the game.
Before sketching a start.
To pride.
After an underhand serve from his rival.
In the 3rd game of the 2nd set, the spectators found opportunities to fire up to give extra energy to the Serbian who was a little off, a little overwhelmed by the curiosity attached to his return, a little overwhelmed by the intensity of the trades.
Djokovic is, with patience, returned to 4-4 (on his first ace, on a 2nd ball).
Before clinging to the decisive game, pocketed 7-5.
With smile.
And a first roar.
Far from being perfect, Djokovic showed that he had kept the will to never give up,
even in the most complicated situations.
But the improvement did not last.
Broken from the start of the 3rd set, Novak Djokovic never regained his balance.
Illustration of the path, the adjustments, the mastery, the power, the defense and the endurance that he will have to assemble in the coming weeks.
Last year, during the clay season, Novak Djokovic won in Belgrade before being crowned at Roland-Garros.