Djokovic, critical after his defeat in Paris: "I am disappointed"

Novak Djokovic has suffered a very tough defeat in the second round of the ATP Paris against Rinky Hijikata, which consequently eliminates him from the equation for the ATP Finals in Turin and concludes a season filled with ups and downs for him, where he has gone from strong to weak. After the match, he was very critical of his performance and explained how he experienced the match from within.

The truth is that the match could not have started better for Djokovic, who took the first set playing at a high level. However, from that moment on, he lowered his performance and Hijikata gained confidence to turn the tables. Novak highlighted the speed of the courts, although he did not want to make excuses and credited the performance of the Australian player, who played outstanding tennis to advance to the third round. 

“I am disappointed. I lost a match that I felt I was dominating in the first set, but then my serve deteriorated, and he played very well; he didn’t miss anything. He was very effective on both sides of the court. This is the fastest surface we have played on this year, and for players like him, who play flat and close to the lines, it’s very good. Unfortunately, I didn’t take advantage of the opportunities in the third set and completely lost control of the match. My back? I’m not in my best shape, but that’s no excuse for losing. Now I need to rest, and I’m looking forward to doing that," he stated in remarks reported by L'Equipe.

A defeat that summarizes Djokovic's end of the year

Beyond Hijikata's level, this result perfectly defines the situation in which Djokovic currently finds himself, always giving a sense of fragility that wasn’t present in the early stages of the season. In Shanghai, it was Hurkacz; in Basel, it was Struff; in Cincinnati, it was Tirante... opponents who, on paper, are quite inferior to him, who smell blood and gain confidence knowing that the Serbian player is not at 100%.

According to him, those physical problems that he has been carrying since mid-season are now practically solved, so we will have to see what decision is made in the preseason to turn the situation around and make 2027 not as uphill as 2026, a year in which at times everyone has suffered watching Nole on the court.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Djokovic, crítico tras su derrota en París: "Estoy decepcionado"