Novak Djokovic did not make the comeback he would have liked after losing in straight sets to Matteo Berrettini.
Djokovic lost to Berrettini for the first time at the Qatar Open, in his first tournament since the Australian Open.
It was in Melbourne where Djokovic suffered a leg injury after retiring from his semi-final match against Alexander Zverev.
However, Djokovic had made positive progress and appeared to be ready to return to action in Doha.
It was not just the Serbian’s fitness that he provided a positive update on, as Djokovic confirmed he is still motivated to compete at the top level.
Novak Djokovic provides injury update after loss to Matteo Berrettini
With that in mind, fans of Djokovic were eager to see how he pulled up following his first singles match in nearly a month.
Despite coming out on the wrong side of the result, Djokovic confirmed that he was pain free and gave full credit to Berrettini when speaking to the ATP Tour.
“I didn’t have any pain or discomfort in that sense. I was outplayed by just a better player today,” said Djokovic. “Yes, I wasn’t at my desired level, and it could be that I’m still not moving the way I want to move, but, I mean, I played without pain, so there is no excuse in that.
“He was just the better player. I think he played a masterclass match, to be honest, tactically, and served very well, so just a very deserved win from his side.”
This was Berrettini’s first win against Djokovic, after losing his four previous meetings against the 24-time Grand Slam champion including the 2021 Wimbledon final.
Berrettini will now progress to the second round of the Qatar Open to play Tallon Griekspoor.
What is next for Novak Djokovic?
Although he is no longer a feature in the singles draw, Djokovic remains in doubles at the Qatar Open alongside Fernando Verdasco.
Djokovic is partnering Verdasco in the final tournament of the Spaniard’s career, with the pair winning their first round match for the loss of just two games.
However, they will likely face a tougher test in their quarter-final against Australian Open and Wimbledon champions Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara.
After the conclusion of the Qatar Open, Djokovic looks set to reunite with Andy Murray for the sunshine double of Indian Wells and the Miami Open.
The 37-year-old is the only player in history to complete the sunshine double on four occasions, but Djokovic was stunned at Indian Wells last year in a shocking third round defeat.
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