Prizmic explains what was the key to defeating Djokovic

Fernando Murciego | 9 May 2026 | 00.42

Prizmic exposes what was the key to defeating Djokovic. Source: Getty

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Many things had to happen for the victory of Dino Prizmic against Novak Djokovic in the Rome Masters 1000 not to be the biggest surprise of the tournament. The Croatian became a protagonist and then tried to explain it to the press.

The words almost didn't come out for the good Dino Prizmic when he sat down in the press room and tried to explain with words what it feels like to surpass Novak Djokovic in an official match. Being his lifelong idol, that mirror he looked at so many times, the 20-year-old Croatian will need time to assimilate what happened, although the tournament will give him only two days of respite. Before targeting his next opponent, it is worth listening to his emotional speech after one of those days that will be forever etched in memory.

A victory he will never forget

"This has been a great moment for me; it's been incredible to share the court with a legend, and I can also say that today I played amazingly. I am very happy with my performance today, what can I say. I know Novak had been out of competition for a while, so that made it easier, although I assure you, for me, it was extremely tough. Especially in the first set, where Novak played incredibly. From that moment on, I tried to stay in the match, to stay focused until things finally worked out. The truth is I don't know how I did it, I just wanted to enjoy every moment on the court and bring out my best tennis, that's all."

Dino Prizmic explains what it feels like to defeat Djokovic

"The feeling after such a victory is incredible, I have no words. I never thought that someday I could win a match against him, but today it happened; I prepared very well with my team for this day. I stepped onto the court willing to give it my all and see what happens; today I am aware that I can face him. Now I have to absorb it because in two days, I have another match, so I need to relax, calm down, rest, and recover as soon as I can for the next challenge. I hope I can bring out my best tennis on the court again; that's all I wish for."

Getting closer to his peak level

"It's hard to explain this question; I don't know what to say. I have been playing some ATP tournaments lately, so maybe I have managed to get used to this level, simply by having played several consecutive matches. Today I feel very confident on the court; I would say this is the key, besides having played many good matches over these weeks. I felt I was very close to achieving something like this, but having done it today makes it even more special. All I wanted was to enjoy on the court and bring out my best tennis."

The forehand, a key shot in his arsenal

"Well, maybe yes, you can say that. Especially today, I felt that way; I noticed that my forehand was amazing. The truth is that was the plan I had in mind, being able to play the majority of points with my forehand. Today my forehand was tremendously important to play well; it helped me feel incredible on the court."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Prizmic explica cuál fue la clave para vencer a Djokovic