No, Novak Djokovic is not a machine.
As in Monte-Carlo, where he lost at the start, the Serbian mechanics completely seized up in the last set on Sunday in Belgrade.
The Serb was out of battery in the final sprint, having exhausted his last reserves in the second set tiebreak and having won all three of his previous matches in straight sets.
Novak Djokovic therefore concluded his week at home with a big boost and the always solid Andrey Rublev took advantage of it (2-6, 7-6, 6-0). It is only the 12th time in his impressive career that the Serb concedes a 6-0, the fifth time in a final.
And crime of lèse-majesté, Rublev inflicted a bubble on Djokovic at home in Belgrade in his hometown in front of 8,000 fans committed to his cause.
He would still not be recovered from a mysterious illness
Read alsoExclusion of Russians from Wimbledon: Djokovic criticizes a “crazy” decision
Betrayed by his physique, the world number one is worried about his physical autonomy at the moment.
And where a Rafael Nadal will always hide his ills after a defeat, Djokovic has not hidden his.
According to him, he has still not recovered from a mysterious illness, contracted before Monte-Carlo and which would have “
considerably affected my metabolism for several weeks
”
.
He elaborated:
“I was looking forward to Monte-Carlo, but I couldn't prepare myself.
I don't think I've ever experienced that since the beginning of my career.
That's why I think it's related to this disease.
I imagine the recovery will take a bit longer than expected
.”
Read alsoTennis: Tired, Djokovic gave in to Rublev in the final of the Belgrade tournament
Is he suffering from the side effects of covid-19?
Anyone who does not want and has not wanted to be vaccinated says no.
A certitude.
Due to his stubborn refusal to go through the sting box, the Serb missed much of the start of the season, including the Australian Open as well as the ATP Masters 1000 in Miami and Indian Wells.
His lack of competition also clearly explains his big miss in the last set.
Faced with a member of the top 10, he displayed his current limits.
His entry defeat in Monte-Carlo had already highlighted his lack of rhythm.
It must be said that clay remains the surface where the 35-year-old Serb has the most difficulty even if he has already won a lot on it, including two Roland-Garros (2016 and 2021).
In search of sensations and landmarks for the meeting in Paris
Read alsoTennis: beaten in Monte-Carlo, Novak Djokovic falls from above
The fiery champion also recalled how difficult it was to control his nerves when things did not go his way.
The TV cameras notably captured the moment when the native of Belgrade swung his racket in frustration in the direction of a ball boy.
Thanks to a reflex, the boy avoided the worst… If the racket had touched the pick-up, the Djoker would surely have been disqualified, like when he had swung a ball, unintentionally at a linesman during the US Open 2020. In short, the man with 20 Grand Slam titles has not gone far from a new controversy of which he has the secret...
But "Nole" was still smiling after his defeat.
At home, he found in part, according to him, sensations and landmarks.
On alternating current, against his compatriots Laslo Djere, Miomir Kecmanovic, then the Russian Karen Khachanov, he knew how to tighten the game in hot moments to reverse compromised scenarios.
In a winning machine.
“
I'm happy to have managed to win these battles in previous matches.
It will serve me for the rest of the season on clay.
Things are progressing, slowly but surely and I hope to be ready for Paris
.
“His record, in his truncated season, remains very meager (now five wins for three losses).
There is still work to do for the man with 20 Grand Slam titles.
With a view to Roland-Garros (May 22 - June 5), of which he is defending champion, he has one month left to regain a level worthy of his status.
He will try to gain momentum next week at the Masters 1000 in Madrid.
