Alejandro Tabilo has been able to beat Novak Djokovic for the second time in under a year at the Monte Carlo Masters.
Tabilo beat Djokovic at the Italian Open last year, en route to reaching his first ever ATP Masters 1000 semi-final.
The Chilean set up a rematch with the 24-time Grand Slam champion after beating Stan Wawrinka, before Tabilo overcame Djokovic once again.
Djokovic had low expectations coming into the Monte Carlo Masters, but Tabilo still had some fears heading into their match.
Alejandro Tabilo admits what he was ‘very scared’ Novak Djokovic would do against him
Tabilo beat Djokovic, 6-3 6-4, to get only his second career top 10 win, with his other also coming against him.
When speaking to the Tennis Channel after his win, Tabilo told Prakash Amritraj that he was actually scared that Djokovic would be gunning for revenge.
“I was actually very scared about that,” said Tabilo. “I know how good his mental part is. I was ready for him to come out and almost want to kill me!
“So I started out really solid and tried to be aggressive and hold him back as well as possible. Slowly it started working and I feel I made him uncomfortable in some situation which was great.”
Tabilo later revealed that his nerves in the big moments started to have a physical effect, but he tried to embrace the moment.
“I think it was around four somethings where you feel something where your legs and hands get a bit colder,” explained the world number 32.
“This time I was just trying to enjoy and I almost laughed because I felt it so much, this is what you play for. This kind of sensation, so I tried to use it in a positive way.”
Novak Djokovic continues poor record at the Monte Carlo Masters
Djokovic is a two-time champion in Monte Carlo, but it is actually his worst performing Masters 1000 tournament with a 71% win percentage.
That win percentage has worsened since winning his last title in 2015, with Djokovic only winning 64% of his matches in the last 10 editions of the Monte Carlo Masters.
This includes two tournaments where Djokovic has lost his only match at the tournament, with the Serbian receiving an automatic bye to the second round as a top eight seed.
Djokovic made one of his best Monte Carlo appearances in recent memory last year, before losing to Casper Ruud in the semi-finals.
| Year | Novak Djokovic’s Monte Carlo Masters Result |
| 2015 | Won the title after beating Tomas Berdych in the final |
| 2016 | Lost in the second round to Jiri Vesely |
| 2017 | Lost in the quarter-finals to David Goffin |
| 2018 | Lost in the third round to Dominic Thiem |
| 2019 | Lost in the quarter-finals to Daniil Medvedev |
| 2021 | Lost in the third round to Dan Evans |
| 2022 | Lost in the second round to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina |
| 2023 | Lost in the third round to Lorenzo Musetti |
| 2024 | Lost in the semi-finals to Casper Ruud |
| 2025 | Lost in the second round to Alejandro Tabilo |
After beating Djokovic, Tabilo will now move onto play 15th seed Alejandro Tabilo for a place in the Monte Carlo Masters quarter-finals.
While the 37-year-old will now look ahead to the Madrid Open, where Djokovic has predicted Carlos Alcaraz to win the title.
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