Djokovic Faces 'New Reality' after Losing Another Opening Match in Madrid

After losing a second straight opening match and three in a row overall, Novak Djokovic said he was facing a “new reality” in his two decades of pro tennis.
Djokovic's public coming to terms with his rare losing streak came after he fell in straight sets to Matteo Arnaldi in his first match of the Madrid Open on Saturday, The Associated Press reported.
The 37-year-old Djokovic came to Spain after also losing his opener to Alejandro Tabilo at the Monte Carlo Masters two weeks ago and, before that, the Miami Open final.
“I was hoping I can play one more match than I played in Monte Carlo. (It's) kind of a new reality for me, I have to say, trying to win a match or two, not really thinking about getting far in the tournament," Djokovic said.
The struggles by the winner of 24 Grand Slam titles coincide with the start of the clay-court swing culminating in the French Open next month.
“It’s a completely different feeling from what I had in 20-plus years of professional tennis,” he said. “It’s a challenge for me mentally to really face these kinds of sensations on the court, going out early now regularly in tournaments.”
Arnaldi won 6-3, 6-4, delaying Djokovic’s search for a career 100th title. The Serb was undermined by 32 unforced errors to his opponent's 18 and had his serve broken three times.
It was the first meeting between Djokovic and 44th-ranked Arnaldi of Italy.
“He’s my idol, he’s always been,” Arnaldi said of Djokovic. “To play him at a stage like this was already a victory for me. He’s not at his best right now, so I came on court to try to play my best tennis and win and it happened.”
Arnaldi raised his arms and turned to the crowd after striking a winner that gave him a second-set break. Djokovic tried to hit right back and had three break points, but Arnaldi rallied to save his serve and finished off the three-time champion.
He wrote “OMG” (Oh my god) on the camera when given the marker for the now customary message by the winner to the television audience.
Djokovic is still seeking his first title of the season after winning his 99th title last August at the Paris Olympics. He has lost four finals since then. The only two players to reach the 100-title milestone are Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103).
Arnaldi will next face Damir Dzumhur after he rallied past Sebastian Baez 1-6, 6-1, 6-2.
The sixth-seeded Alex de Minaur beat Lorenzo Sonego 6-2, 6-3 and moves on to play Denis Shapovalov after the Canadian defeated Kei Nishikori 6-1, 6-4.
Stefanos Tsitsipas fought back against Jan-Lennard Struff 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 and will face 10th-seeded Loranzo Musetti, who beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-6 (3), 6-2.
Cameron Norrie also came back to down Jiri Lehecka 2-6, 6-4, 6-0. He will play Gabriel Diallo.
Other winners included fifth-seeded Jack Draper and 15th-seeded Grigor Dimitrov.
Second-seeded Iga Swiatek saw off Linda Noskova 6-4, 6-2 as the defending champion advanced to the round of 16.
Swiatek will play Diana Shnaider in the quarterfinals.
Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva advanced to the last 16 for the third straight year by defeating Magdalena Frech 7-5, 6-3.
The 17-year-old Andreeva, ranked No. 7, has yet to lose before the Madrid fourth round.
She reached that stage for the first time in 2023 while playing as a wild card in her second WTA main draw. Last year, her first big quarterfinals came in the Spanish capital.
“I was very, very nervous,” Andreeva said. “I still struggle to find my best tennis in Madrid. Super happy that I could manage to play consistent throughout the whole match.”
Andreeva, who will turn 18 on Tuesday, will next face Ukrainian qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva, who defeated 18th-seeded Liudmila Samsonova in three sets.
Americans Coco Gauff and Madison Keys also advanced with straight-set wins.
Fourth-seeded Gauff beat compatriot Ann Li 6-2, 6-3, while the fifth-seeded Keys edged Anna Kalinskaya 7-5, 7-6 (3).

Jasmine Paolini became the first Italian woman in more than a decade to reach the final of her home Italian Open when she beat American Peyton Stearns 7-5 6-1 on Thursday.

Paolini is the first Italian to advance to the final in Rome since her doubles partner Sara Errani lost to Serena Williams in 2014.

Paolini had found herself a set and 4-0 down to Diana Shnaider in her quarter-final tie before storming to victory and once again the world number five had a slow start in the opening set before mounting a comeback.

"I am very happy, I don't know what to say! It's a dream to be here, it's a dream to play in Italy, it's a dream to be able to play the final," the 29-year-old said, according to Reuters.

Any hopes of a quick start for Paolini were put to rest when Stearns jumped into a 3-0 lead amid muted applause from the home crowd as the Italian soon found herself 4-1 down.

The American looked comfortable and poised to take the opening set before Paolini clawed her way back as she saved set points to level it at 5-5, pumping her fist with a triumphant scream that got the crowd roaring again.

The comeback was complete when Paolini, having won four games in a row, took the opening set after more than an hour of play.

The momentum was firmly with Paolini as she broke Stearns for a fifth time to go 4-1 up in the second set and the deflated American had no answer as the Italian's winners whizzed past her.

Stearns fired a forehand wide on match point as the crowd erupted and Paolini raised her arms in celebration.

"You (the crowd) gave me a boost because today it was a bit of an uphill start and I struggled at the beginning, thank goodness you were there," she added.

"We won this match together. Point after point I managed to fight, to turn it around, even if at the beginning I did not have a good feeling. But I am happy with the way I managed to turn this match around."

Djokovic Faces 'New Reality' after Losing Another Opening Match in Madrid