Novak Djokovic’s heartbreaking loss to Croatian qualifier Dino Prizmic at the Italian Open 2026 and his decision to not participate at the Geneva Open have confirmed that the 24-time Grand Slam champion will enter the French Open 2026 without a single win on clay. The last time he played on a clay court was at the 2025 Roland Garros semifinal, where he lost to Jannik Sinner.
The 20-year-old Prizmic stunned No. 3 seed Djokovic 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 in second-round action of the Italian Open Friday in Rome.
After losing the final four games of the opening set, the 20-year-old Prizmic won the first four of the second set on the way to leveling the match. He then came away with the only break of the third set at 2-2 to secure his second career win over a top-10 opponent.
ROMA<>AMOR 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/Aod759pm7w
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) May 9, 2026
“For me, it is hard to (know what to) say. I have big respect for Novak. He is my idol, so it was a great match for me today,” Prizmic said after the match. “I played unbelievable and I want to stay focused and be ready for the next one.”
Both competitors had more unforced errors than winners but Prizmic (30-25) had a more favorable ratio than Djokovic (26-17), as well as the only three aces in the match.
Djokovic To Skip All Tournaments Ahead Of French Open
Djokovic, who was competing in his first event since Indian Wells in early March, was visibly struggling with his fitness, particularly in the second set. But he wasn’t using that as an excuse after losing his first career opening match in Rome.
“I hope you understand I will not talk about that. I want to congratulate Dino,” Djokovic said. “Deservedly the winner today.”
In the post-match interview, the Serbian great was asked if he is feeling confident for the Roland Garros 2026? “I dont know, I hope so. “We’ll see,” he answered.
When asked if he will compete at the Geneva Open where he won the title last year (that marked his 100th ATP title), Djokovic denied it. For the reason, he paused for a second and then replied, “Just a decision”.
The French Open starts will be held from Sunday, May 24, to Sunday, June 7, 2026. It will mark only the fourth tournament of the season for Djokovic.
