Dino’s Day: Prizmic Deals Djokovic First Rome Opening Defeat
By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, May 8, 2026
Photo credit: Internazionali BNL d’Italia Facebook
Novak Djokovic was a perpetual power in Eternal City openers.
Croatian qualifier Dino Prizmic punctured perfection in style today.
The 20-year-old Prizmic pounded an ace out wide on match point, stunning Djokovic 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 today handing the Grand Slam king his first-ever opening-round Rome defeat.
“For me, it is hard to [speak]. I have big respect for Novak,” Prizmic said. “He is my idol, so it was a great match for me today. I played unbelievable and I want to stay focused and be ready for the next one.
“First set he played unbelievable and at the end of the set I tried to find my game and I did it, so it is very, very good.”
Djokovic declined to detail his on-court illness afterward.
The former world No. 1 showed his class in defeat engaging Prizmic at net then remaining on court to sign autographs for fans.
“I hope you understand I will not talk about that. I want to congratulate Dino. Deservedly the
winner today,” Djokovic said. “Yeah, came in to have a match or more.
“Unfortunately, only a match. It’s all right. I’m pleased at least that I fought till the end. I want to thank the crowd. It was incredible once again. I mean, the support and love that I’ve been getting, it’s something I don’t take for granted.”
Carrying an 18-0 record in Rome openers onto court, Djokovic looked strong at the outset of his first match since losing to Jack Draper at Indian Wells in March. In the second set, the 38-year-old Serbian superstar lost his lunch—twice vomiting on court—as Prizmic was striking with more authority.
Both men left the court before the start of the third set.
World No. 79 Prizmic, who grew up looking up to Djokovic, broke for a 3-2 lead in the decider then reeled off eight of his last 10 service points to make history as the first Croatian to defeat the former No. 1 on red clay.
It was Prizmic’s second Top 10 win in the last 10 days. In Madrid, Prizmic did not face a break point, toppling Ben Shelton 6-4, 6-7(4), 7-6(5) in a three hour, three-minute thriller on Arantxa Sanchez Stadium court.
It was Prizmic’s first career Top 10 win as he became the first Croatian man to earn a Top-10 clay-court win since Marin Cilic stopped world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev at the 2022 Roland Garros.
Afterward, Djokovic said he has no plans to play another clay-court tune-up tournament before Roland Garros, which starts on Sunday, Many 24th. If he sticks to that plan, Djokovic will arrive in Paris for Roland Garros with just one clay-court match on the season.
“Yes, it’s not an ideal preparation, to be honest,” Djokovic said. “I don’t recall last time I had in the last couple years a preparation where I didn’t have any kind of physical issues or health issues coming into the tournament.
“There’s always something. Kind of a new reality that I have to deal with. Yeah, it is frustrating. At the same time it’s my decision to still perform in that kind of state and conditions. It is what it is.”
Legendary Bjorn Borg famously started Slams clean-shaven and would often be bearded by the end of the fortnight.
Contesting his third tournament of the season, Djokovic came out sporting a full beard.
Clad in a pale yellow polo and black shorts, Djokovic rattled off the rust throwing down a love hold for 2-1.
Winning a drop-shot duel, Djokovic lunged right for a forehand stab volley for a break point in the sixth game. Spinning a return off the baseline, Djokovic rapped a running forehand crosscourt, breaking with a clenched fist for 4-2.
The depth of Djokovic’s crackling returns sometimes pinned Prizmic behind the baseline. A Djokovic return ricocheted off the baseline provoking a Prizmic error as Djokovic broke again for a one-set lead after 40 minutes.
The world No. 4 permitted just three points on serve in the opening set. Running into turbulence, Djokovic twice resorted to the drop shot then watched Prizmic pump a forehand winner crosscourt to break at love and snap his four-game slide.
After Prizmic spun a forehand winner down the line to back up the break, Djokovic lost his lunch. Walking behind the camera wall near the rear corner of the court, Djokovic vomited onto the court.
Battling sickness and Prizmic, Djokovic double faulted to start the third game, threw up again, and eventually dropped serve as Prizmic lengthened his lead to 3-0.
The 60-time ATP Masters 1000 finalist held in the fifth game to snap a second-set shutout after 77 minutes of play.
An empowered Prizmic hit a forehand off the tape that fell in for double set point. Prizmic pounded down a forehand winner to snatch the second set and force a final set after one hour, 22 minutes of play.
Both men left the court before battling to start the third set.
Increasingly, Prizmic was fending off those deep returns that danced near his shoelaces, while Djokovic was spending more energy to try to end points.
Deadlocked at 2-all, Djokovic attacked but slid a backhand volley wide as Prizmic broke for 3-2.
That was the only break the Croatian needed.
Serving for his biggest win, Prizmic engaged Djokovic in a backhand-to-backhand exchange. That rally escalated to 17 shots until Djokovic pulled the trigger and missed the mark on a backhand down the line.
On match point, Prizmic plastered his third winner to seal a two hour, 15-minute triumph in style.
“Nole, it was a pleasure,” Prizmic signed the court-side camera after pounding 25 winners—eight more than the six-time Rome champion.
Prizmic will play either French left-hander Ugo Humbert or Czech Vit Kopriva next.
Djokovic knows the split-second reactions and recovering from physical points on dirt can only come through match play, but with his 39th birthday approaching in a couple of weeks, the challenge is preparing his body for the rigors of Roland Garros without depleting his fuel tank for the tournament.
“I mean, it was okay. I didn’t play so bad. I don’t think I played so bad, to be honest,” Djokovic said of his return today. “Okay, the second set was something to forget obviously the way I felt on the court. But the first and third was good. It was okay.
“It was a good battle in the end. Obviously, I see what I’m missing. Late half a step. I’m not definitely where I want to be for the highest level and to compete at the highest level and to be able to get far. Eventually you have to play. You have to start somewhere.
“I wanted to start earlier, but I couldn’t. So yeah, that’s what it is. The situation is as it is. You just adapt to it and make the most out of it. I train hard. I train as much as the body allows me to. Then how it turns out on the court, that’s really unpredictable.”
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