Novak Djokovic suffered a shocking early exit from the Monte Carlo Masters, losing in straight sets to Chilean player Alejandro Tabilo. The world No. 32 dominated the match, securing a 6-3, 6-4 victory in just under 90 minutes on Court Rainier III.

 

Djokovic, playing his first match on clay since winning Olympic gold last summer, struggled from the start. Tabilo broke his serve twice in the first set, while Djokovic’s errors continued in the second. The Serbian legend, who lost to teenager Jakub Mensik in last month’s Miami Masters final, admitted his disappointment.

 

“I expected to put in a decent performance, but not like this. It was horrible,” Djokovic told the ATP’s official site. “I knew I was going to have a tough match, but I didn’t expect to play this badly. I feel sorry for the fans who had to watch this.”

 

Tabilo will now face 15th seed Grigor Dimitrov in the last 16. Dimitrov fought back from a set down to beat wildcard Valentin Vacherot 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.

 

Alcaraz, Ruud, and Medvedev Advance to the Third Round

 

Meanwhile, world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz recovered from a slow start to claim his first Monte Carlo victory, beating Francisco Cerúndolo 3-6, 6-0, 6-1. The 21-year-old, already a four-time Grand Slam champion, admitted he needed to change his strategy after the first set.

 

“I made a lot of mistakes and let him dominate,” Alcaraz said. “I knew I had to be more aggressive, use drop shots, and push him back.”

 

Alcaraz will play Daniel Altmaier in the third round after the German qualifier defeated Richard Gasquet 7-5, 5-7, 6-2. Gasquet, a veteran of the sport, is playing his final Monte Carlo Masters before retiring after the French Open.

 

Fourth seed Casper Ruud had an easy win against Roberto Bautista Agut, cruising to a 6-2, 6-1 victory. Elsewhere, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina defeated Argentina’s Tomás Martín Etcheverry 7-6 (2), 6-3 and will now face British No. 1 Jack Draper.

 

Rublev, De Minaur, and Medvedev Progress, Tiafoe Eliminated

 

Defending champion Andrey Rublev marked his first match under new coach Marat Safin with a solid 6-4, 7-6 (2) win over Gaël Monfils. Other seeds progressing included Alex De Minaur, Arthur Fils, and Lorenzo Musetti.

 

De Minaur, who reached the French Open quarter-finals last year, showcased his growing confidence on clay by staging an impressive comeback against Tomáš Macháč. The world No. 10 lost the first set but recovered to win 3-6, 6-0, 6-3, setting up a last-16 clash with Daniil Medvedev.

 

Medvedev, however, had to fight hard in a nearly three-hour battle against Alexandre Müller, eventually winning 7-6 (6), 5-7, 6-2. Meanwhile, 14th seed Frances Tiafoe was knocked out after losing in three sets to Australian Alexei Popyrin.

 

As the tournament progresses, the competition remains fierce, with several top players still in contention for the title.