By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Tuesday, February 18, 2025
Matteo Berrettini shocked Novak Djokovic 7-6(4), 6-2 in a first-rate Doha performance that spoiled the Serbian’s comeback from a leg injury.
Photo credit: Graham Denholm/Getty
Major futility facing Novak Djokovic marked Matteo Berrettini like the ink on his arm.
Today, Berrettini tattooed his forehand and shattered self-doubt, shocking Djokovic 7-6(4), 6-2 in a first-rate Doha first-round performance that spoiled the Serbian’s comeback.
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Dancing around his backhand, Berrettini spun one final forehand down the line to close with a bang.
Winless in four prior meetings vs. the former No. 1, Berrettini beat Djokovic for the first time, handed the Serbian superstar his first opening-round, hard-court loss since he fell to Benoit Paire at the 2018 Miami Open and derailed the veterans’s drive for his 100th career title.
The 35th-ranked Italian scored his 10th career Top 10-win and first since the 2023 United Cup when he beat both Casper Ruud and Hubert Hurkacz.
It was Djokovic’s first match since he retired from the Australian Open semifinals last month. Djokovic played a high quality opening set, but dropped serve in his first service game of the second set and never recovered.
A biting serve and bold shotmaking helped Berrettini craft the upset in this rematch of the 2021 Wimbledon final, which Djokovic won 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-4, 6-3.
Berrettini pumped 13 aces against one double fault, dropped just seven points on first serve and saved all three break points he faced. Berrettini 14 of 20 points played on the Serbian’s second serve and scored the lone breaks of the match in the second set.
It was a dream result for Berrettini, who has battled injury and illness trying to regain his Top 20 spot.
“It’s something I’ve been looking to do since a long time,” Berrettini said. “Obviously, I played against him in the most important tournaments on tour. I had the honor—and pleasure—to play against him. I wish I could have won one of those matches as well.
“But I worked really hard to be back here, to be back at this level. You know, my level was high. I just needed matches. And matches like this.
"All the hard work I’ve been putting in the last months and last days, they worked really well today. So I’m really happy with my performance. I’m really happy because I enjoyed my time out there.”
A core question to this blockbuster opener: How would Djokovic, who was forced to retire from last month’s Australian Open semifinals due to a left leg muscle tear, physically respond in his return?
Showing no taping on his legs, Djokovic was wearing a white t-shirt beneath his blue Lacoste polo to ward off the evening chill that had some fans wearing hoodies. Djokovic came out moving fluidly and decisively.
In an outstanding opener, both men came out blazing on serve.
Facing triple break point in the fifth game, Djokovic unleashed a serve and forehand swing volley then fired successive aces erasing all three break points. A brilliant Djokovic drop shot capped a key hold for 3-2.
In the next game, Berrettini denied three break points, plastering an ace to erase the third break point, as he held for 3-all.
A calm Djokovic drilled three aces stamping a love hold for 4-3.
Landing his first serve with command, Berrettini ran off 12 of 13 serve points taking the set into the tiebreaker.
Firing his rocket-launcher forehand with menace, Berrettini drew first mini-break blood taking a 3-0 lead in the tiebreaker.
The Italian dabbed a drop volley, but Djokovic read it, showed plenty of spring in his 37-year-old legs, easily ran it down and pushed a forehand pass to regain the mini break for 3-4.
Undeterred, Berrettini bolted a backhand pass for 5-3 before unleashing a barrage of diagonal forehands for set points at 6-4.
On his first set point, Berrettini banged a biting body serve off a second serve to close a quality 56-minute opening set.
Empowered, Berrettini was stepping in and driving his forehand into the corners forcing the 10-time Australian Open champion into some sliding defensive stands behind the baseline.
A crackling 19-shot rally escalated in drama and pace before Berrettini blasted an inside-out forehand winner earning first break blood for a 2-0 second-set lead.
Blazing through a three-ace hold at love, Berrettini had thumped 11 aces taking a 7-6, 3-0 lead after 71 minutes.
Tested on serve in the seventh game, Berrettini came up big. A jolting serve followed by another imposing inside-out forehand helped Berrettini navigate a deuce hold for 5-2.
In the final game, Djokovic saved a match point with a slick half-volley drop shot that made both men smile.
On this day, nothing would stop Berrettini who blasted some stinging forehands closing in 93 minutes with a frenzied fist pump toward his box after beating the Grand Slam king for the first time.
The 2022 AO semifinalist Berrettini said technically he’s a better player now than he was three years ago,
The big difference, Berrettini concedes, is he had a lot more confidence then.
“I think in that moment I was feeling really confident, but if you look at some highlights and stuff. I don't think I was playing better in terms of strokes,” Berrettini said. “Maybe I was playing better because I was more focused. I was more, like, used to play certain kind of matches, but I feel like my level is up there.
“My backhand I think is better than three years ago. My return is better than three years ago. There is still room for improvement, luckily, and it's just a matter of time and matches and opportunities to play against the best players in the world.”
Next up for Berrettini is a round of 16 meeting vs. Tallon Griekspoor, who edged Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6(5), 7-6(7) saving five of six break points along the way.
Earlier, former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev rallied from a one-set hole to beat buddy Karen Khachanov 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.
The 2023 champion Medvedev dethroned defending-champion Khachanov denying his compatriot’s bid to join Stefan Edberg, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Djokovic as the fifth man to successfully defend Doha.
The fourth-seeded Medvedev, who scored back-to-back wins for the first time all season en route to the Marseille semifinals last week, hit 10 aces and saved six of seven break points today. Afterward, Medvedev said a mid-match change to a different Tecnifibre racquet with more power was key to his comeback.
The 29-year-old Medvedev will play 58th-ranked Zizou Bergs for a quarterfinal spot.