Novak Djokovic has issued an emotional statement after recently withdrawing from the Italian Open, also known as the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. This will be the first edition of the Masters 1000 event since 2006 where the Serb will not compete in the main draw.
Novak Djokovic Hopes To Be Back in Rome Next Year
Djokovic has enjoyed tremendous success in Rome over the years, winning 68 out of 80 matches so far. He won the title in 2008, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2020, and most recently in 2022, while reaching the final an additional six times.
The 24-time Major champion’s withdrawal came just a few days after he suffered a shocking second-round defeat to Matteo Arnaldi at the Madrid Open.
Djokovic shared a statement in the wake of his shocking withdrawal on his Instagram story. He shared a picture of himself from one of his Italian Open triumphs with a message.
“Rome I will miss you. I hope we will meet next year,” he captioned his story (translated from Italian to English).
Djokovic made headlines in the previous edition of the Italian Open when a water bottle accidentally hit his head following a match. While the Serb was signing autographs for fans, a man leaning over the railing to hand him a notebook accidentally dropped an aluminum water bottle on his head.
Novak Djokovic Has Had a Subpar Campaign So Far in 2025
The 2025 season has been somewhat underwhelming as per Djokovic’s standards, starting with a quarterfinal exit at the Brisbane International. He then progressed well at the 2025 Australian Open, reaching the semifinals before retiring due to an hamstring injury.
Djokovic was on the sidelines for a while due to the gruesome injury but made his much-awaited return at the 2025 Qatar Open. However, his time at the ATP 500 event was cut short by Matteo Berrettini, who beat him 7-6 (4), 6-2 in the opening round. Djokovic’s poor form continued at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, where he suffered a 2-6, 6-3, 1-6 defeat to Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round.
However, this was followed by what has been his best performance of the year so far at the Miami Open. The Serb reached the final after beating Rinky Hijikata, Camilo Ugo Carabelli, Lorenzo Musetti, Sebastian Korda and Grigor Dimitrov. Here, he took on Czech teenager Jakub Mensik and suffered a shock 6-7(4), 6-7(4) defeat.
The Serb has since suffered successive second-round exits at the Monte-Carlo and Madrid Masters. He currently holds an underwhelming 12-7 win-loss record and hasn’t secured a title since his Olympic gold in Paris.