Novak Djokovic suffered a surprise exit from the Italian Open on Friday after losing 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 to Croatian qualifier Dino Prizmic in the second round.
The defeat marked an early setback for the 24-time Grand Slam champion, who was making his return from a shoulder injury ahead of the upcoming French Open.
Djokovic, 38, had not competed since his last-16 loss at Indian Wells in March after withdrawing from tournaments in Miami, Monte Carlo, and Madrid due to fitness concerns.
The Serbian star appeared in control early in the match, dominating the opening set as Prizmic struggled with unforced errors. However, momentum shifted dramatically in the second set as the 20-year-old Croatian raised his level with aggressive baseline play and powerful ground strokes.
Prizmic won four consecutive games early in the second set to seize control before completing the comeback in the deciding set to secure the biggest victory of his career.
Speaking after the match, Djokovic admitted he was still short of full match sharpness despite putting up a strong fight.
“I don’t think I played so bad to be honest. It was OK, it was a good battle in the end but obviously I see what I’m missing. I’m late half a step. I’m not definitely where I want to be for the highest level to compete,” he said.
The former world number one added that he remains hopeful of regaining top form before Roland Garros later this month.
Djokovic, who wore a shoulder brace during the contest, had not exited a tournament this early since the Madrid Open last year.
For Prizmic, the win continues an impressive rise on the ATP Tour. The Croatian arrived in Rome with a career-high ranking of 79 after reaching the third round in Madrid, where he defeated world number six Ben Shelton.
The young star, who has often described Djokovic as his idol, will now face either Ugo Humbert or Vit Kopriva in the next round as he seeks a place in the last 16 of a Masters 1000 event for the first time.
