May 12, (THEWILL)- A monumental upset occurred at the Italian Open on Sunday, as little-known Chilean, Alejandro Tabilo, whitewashed world number one, Novak Djokovic, in straight sets, 6-2 6-3. The lopsided victory lasted just 67 minutes with the 25-year-old virtually flawless, breaking Djokovic’s serve four times without facing a single break point himself.
“It’s incredible. I came on court just looking around and soaking it all in, trying to process everything. I’m trying to wake up right now,” a stunned Tabilo said after the biggest win of his career. He becomes the first Chilean in 17 years to beat a world #1 since Fernando Gonzalez defeated Roger Federer at the 2007 ATP Finals.
Djokovic looked completely out of sorts, attributing his shockingly poor performance to lingering effects from an “unfortunate” incident two days prior when a fan accidentally struck him on the head with a water bottle. “That has really impacted me a lot…I got medical care, been through half an hour, an hour of nausea, dizziness and blood,” the 36-year-old Serb explained.
The unexpected loss is a major setback for Djokovic’s preparations for the French Open which begins on May 26th. Having failed to reach a final in 2024, he played just six matches on clay leading up to Roland Garros. When asked about his chances in Paris, Djokovic admitted: “Everything needs to be better for me to have at least a chance to win it.”
For Tabilo, ranked outside the top 100, the stunning victory over the 24-time Grand Slam champion represents a massive breakthrough. Two weeks ago, the Chilean won a Challenger event but no one could have predicted this dominant performance on one of tennis’ biggest stages in Rome.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
