Dino Prizmic marked his arrival on the ATP tour by pulling off a significant upset, defeating Novak Djokovic 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the second round of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on Friday. The match took place over two hours and 15 minutes, with Prizmic demonstrating resilience after a sluggish start against the six-time tournament champion.
Djokovic appeared to struggle with illness during the second set, although he regained his composure in the third. Despite his fighting spirit, the Serbian star was unable to recover from an early break, conceding the match to the rising Croatian star.
“Big respect for Novak; he is my idol,” Prizmic remarked in his post-match interview. “It was definitely a great match for me today. I played unbelievably. I just want to stay focused and be ready for the next one.”
Meanwhile, Djokovic expressed his disappointment after a surprisingly short stay in Rome. “I came here for a match or more — unfortunately, it was only one match,” he lamented. “But I’m pleased that I fought until the end… It’s not ideal preparation for Roland Garros, to be honest. It is frustrating, but it is what it is.”
This unexpected loss marked a rare experience for Djokovic, who had previously boasted an unblemished 18-0 record in opening matches at the Rome Masters.
Prizmic’s journey to this victory has been anything but straightforward. His breakout performance against Djokovic came earlier this year at the 2024 Australian Open, where he pushed the veteran to a four-set match, losing 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4. However, injuries had hindered his progress until this latest achievement. Ranked 79th in the world, Prizmic has bounced back and found his footing, winning nine matches on the ATP tour this season, including impressive victories over Matteo Berrettini and Ben Shelton during the Madrid qualifiers.
Following his defeat, Djokovic confirmed that he will skip a wild card entry into the upcoming Geneva ATP 250, setting his sights instead on making a strong return at Roland Garros.
