Novak Djokovic sends social media message to Matteo Berrettini after losing to him at the Qatar Open

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Novak Djokovic sent a message to Matteo Berrettini following their Qatar Open contest.

On Tuesday the Serbian played his first match since the Australian Open semi-finals and he faced a stern test against the big-serving Italian.

The 37-year-old is back to full health and was looking to get back on track with a strong run at a tournament he competed in for the first time since 2018.

Novak Djokovic had not won any of his previous four meetings with Berrettini, but his opponent in the 2021 Wimbledon final was keen to change that.

What did Novak Djokovic say to Matteo Berrettini after their Qatar Open match?

At the Qatar Open, Djokovic took on Matteo Berrettini for the fifth time in their careers.

The 28-year-old produced an excellent performance, which included 19 blistering winners off his dangerous forehand.

He claimed the first set on a tiebreak, before losing just two games in the second set to claim a 7-6(4), 6-2 victory and defeat Djokovic for the first time.

The former World number one then took to social media to assess his performance and congratulate Berrettini for his victory.

“Not what I was hoping for out there but good to be back on court,” the 24-time Grand Slam champion said.

“Still working on getting back to my desired level but I played without pain so no excuses. Matteo was the better player on the day and deserves his victory. Good luck Matteo and thank you.”

Matteo Berrettini does something for the first time since 2023 after beating Novak Djokovic in Qatar

Berrettini won 85% of the points behind his first serve, which was critical to his victory against the Olympic champion.

This was the first time the former Wimbledon runner-up defeated a player inside the top 10 since 2023, and he is thrilled about his latest result.

“It’s something that I’ve been looking to do,” said Berrettini, who plays Tallon Griekspoor next. “I played against him in the most important tournaments on Tour, had the honour and the pleasure to play against him. I wish I could have won one of those matches as well.

“I worked really hard to be back here, to be back at this level. I knew my level was high. I just needed matches and matches like this.

“All the hard work that I’ve been putting in the last months, in the last days, it worked pretty well today. So I’m really happy with my performance. I’m really happy because I enjoyed my time out there, which is the most important thing.”