Novak Djokovic’s comeback after retiring during the Australian Open got off to a disastrous start, as he was defeated in the first round of the Qatar Open by Matteo Berrettini. Djokovic, seeded third in the tournament, lost 7-6(4) 6-2 in Doha, marking his first match since he had to pull out of his semi-final against Alexander Zverev in Melbourne back in January.
The Serbian’s return to competitive tennis after retiring in the semi-finals of the Australian Open ended in an unexpected loss to Berrettini at the Qatar Open. During the Australian Open, Djokovic was forced to give Zverev a walkover after he sustained a muscle tear in his victory over Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals.
Djokovic, who entered the Doha event as the third seed, was defeated in straight sets by Berrettini, a player known for his unpredictable form. With this win, Berrettini advanced to the second round, securing a 7-6(4) 6-2 victory over the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
Unseeded in the ATP 500 event, Berrettini earned his first win over a top 10 player since January 2023. He will face Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor in the next round, seeking to avenge his defeat to Griekspoor in the opening round of Rotterdam earlier this month.
The Italian, who faced Djokovic in the 2021 Wimbledon final, took just over an hour and a half to defeat the Serbian. He won 85% of his first serve points and successfully saved three break points to claim the first-set tiebreak. Berrettini broke Djokovic in the opening point of the tiebreak and, after briefly losing the advantage at 4-3, bounced back to secure a 7-4 win in the breaker.
Berrettini kept up his strong play in the second set, breaking Djokovic in his first return game, and then sealed the match with a second break at 5-2, advancing to the second round.
In his post-match interview, Berrettini expressed how much it meant to him to beat Djokovic, something he had always aspired to do. “It’s something that I’ve been looking to do,” he said. “I’ve faced him in the biggest tournaments on tour and had the honor and pleasure of playing against him. I always wished I could win one of those matches. I worked so hard to return to this level, and I knew my game was strong. I just needed opportunities like this. All the effort I’ve put in recently really paid off today. I’m thrilled with my performance and, most importantly, I enjoyed being on the court.”
After recovering from a six-month injury hiatus, Berrettini claimed three tour-level titles in 2024, winning in Marrakech, Gstaad, and Kitzbuhel. He is now ranked No. 35 in the world. Djokovic, for his part, seemed to be moving well in his return to action and confirmed that Andy Murray would continue as his coach for the foreseeable future, even after the loss to Berrettini.