World number seven Holger Rune beat a frustrated Novak Djokovic 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 on Wednesday, sending the top seed spinning out in a dramatic rain-interrupted quarter-final at the Italian Open. The Serb, who will drop to second on Monday in the rankings behind Carlos Alcaraz, admitted that he was outplayed in heavy, wet conditions after a week of rain in normally sunny Rome.
“This is probably the coldest, wettest tournament I’ve ever played here in Rome,” the 22-time Grand Slam winner said. “I don’t recall so many days in a row (of) raining. In these conditions, it’s very difficult to get the ball past him. He’s a very talented, dynamic player - he was too good for me for most of the match,” he said of Rune.
Six-time champion Djokovic was carrying an unspecified injury into the match as he lost for a second time to the rising 20-year-old Dane, who bested him to win the Masters 1000 at Paris Bercy last November. The latest contest between the pair was marred by spats with the chair umpire by both players – Djokovic on a time warning and Rune over a second-set line call.
Play was halted for just over an hour by rain. Shortly after the match began, Djokovic requested extra towels to pad his lower back on the bench during most changeovers. He has also suffered with a right elbow problem over the past weeks which caused him to miss the Madrid event and put his pre-Roland Garros preparation behind schedule.
He was treated by the trainer and tournament doctor after the third game of the second set and given a painkiller before playing on. The exit of Djokovic - combined with that of Alcaraz this week - leaves the men’s field wide open at the Foro Italico.
Between them, Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have won 16 of the last 18 editions here; the last time one of the pair did not figure in a Rome final was 2004. Rune is only the sixth player to defeat Djokovic in Rome. “This is really a big win for me,” the seventh seed said. “Every match against Novak is a huge challenge. He’s one of the greatest to ever play the game. I was proud of myself and enjoyed every minute out there,” Rune added. “I have to stay humble, I still have a lot to achieve. I’m a huge fighter on court, I leave everything out there. I had to fight hard and play my best tennis. I’m a big fan of Novak; he’s a huge inspiration. He puts huge pressure on you - I had to stay brave.”
Djokovic was playing his 17th consecutive Rome quarter-final, now standing 13-4. Tomas Berdych was the last player to beat him in the last eight in Rome back in 2013. His Rome record dropped to 67-11 as his bid for a seventh title ended after two hours, 18 minutes with 35 unforced errors in only his fourth loss of the season. Rune will face either world number four Casper Ruud or the Argentine Francisco Cerundolo in the semi-finals.
Nadal to reveal French Open decision amid injury concerns
Rafael Nadal will announce if he will compete in the French Open today, amid a long-term injury struggle and some Spanish reports that he will withdraw.
The 22-time Grand Slam winner has battled to recover from a hip injury he sustained in January at the Australian Open, not playing since then.
“If he plays or not and the reasons either way will only be communicated tomorrow,” said a spokesman for Nadal yesterday.
Nadal will speak at 4pm local time (1400 GMT) today at his Rafa Nadal academy in Mallorca. The Spaniard, 36, pulled out of the Barcelona and Madrid Open tournaments among others in the run-up to Roland Garros, and earlier in May confirmed he would not participate in the Italian Open.
The French Open, which he has won on a record 14 occasions, starts in Paris on May 28.
Nadal’s struggles with fitness over the past couple of years have created wider doubts concerning his career. He has competed in just four matches in 2023, winning only once.
Earlier in May, Nadal said his injury situation had improved with a new treatment, but not sufficiently to be able to play in Rome this week.