Chile’s Tabilo beats top-seeded Djokovic in massive upset at Italian Open

Djokovic’s 6-2, 6-3 straight sets loss extends his tournament drought in 2024.

Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo has claimed the biggest win of his career by beating world number one Novak Djokovic 6-2, 6-3 in the third round of the Italian Open in a match that lasted just 67 minutes.

Djokovic has won the tournament six times with his last title coming in 2022, but Tabilo was almost flawless on Centre Court on Sunday, breaking the top seed four times while not conceding a single break point.

“It’s incredible. I came on court just looking around and soaking it all in, trying to process everything. I’m trying to wake up right now,” Tabilo, 26, said.

The victory made Tabilo, who won a Challenger Tour tournament two weeks ago, the first Chilean in 17 years to beat a world number one since Fernando Gonzalez beat Roger Federer at the ATP Finals in 2007.

The result also means Djokovic, who made a double fault on match point, has failed to reach a single final in 2024 and has played only six matches on clay in the build-up to the French Open.

The Serbian had reached the semifinals of the Monte Carlo Masters, but a premature exit in Rome could hamper his preparations for Roland Garros, where the year’s second Grand Slam begins on May 26.