Former world No.1 Novak Djokovic suffered another early exit in 2025, falling in straight sets to world No.44 Matteo Arnaldi at the Madrid Open on Saturday in one of the tournament’s biggest upsets so far.
Djokovic entered the ATP Masters 1000 clash as a heavy -357.14 favorite across tennis betting sites, despite struggling for form after a first-round loss at the Monte Carlo Masters earlier this month.
However, the 24-time Grand Slam champion never found his rhythm, racking up 32 unforced errors in a 6-4, 7-5 defeat that lasted one hour and 41 minutes. It marks Djokovic’s fifth loss in 2025 to a player ranked outside the world’s top 30.
“I’ve had a few of these this year where I lose in the first round, unfortunately,” Djokovic said candidly after the match. “I knew that it’s going to be a really tough opening match for me in this tournament. Arnaldi is a really good player, a quality player.”
The Serbian acknowledged that despite solid practice sessions, translating that to match play remains an ongoing challenge.
“I didn’t have too many matches on clay. I did practice well, but it’s completely different when you step out on the match court.
The positive thing is that I really enjoyed myself more than I have in Monte Carlo or some other tournaments, so that’s a good thing. But obviously still the level of tennis is not where I would like it to be.”
Djokovic was reflective on his new reality after losing three consecutive matches for the second time this season.
“Kind of a new reality for me, I have to say.
Trying to win a match or two, not really thinking about getting far in the tournament. It’s a completely different feeling from what I had in 20-plus years of professional tennis,” he said.
“That’s, I guess, the circle of life and the career; eventually it was going to happen. I’m trying to use this as a driving force for the future.”
Despite his struggles, Djokovic remains a leading contender for the upcoming French Open. He sits third in the outright betting at +600 with top online sportsbooks, behind Carlos Alcaraz (+100) and Jannik Sinner (+250).
Meanwhile, Arnaldi advances to the third round in Madrid and is a strong -333.33 favorite at Nags.bet to defeat Damir Dzumhur as he looks to continue his dream run.
