Alex de Minaur’s Frustrating Performance at the Italian Open
Alex de Minaur experienced a difficult day on the court during the Italian Open in Rome, marking his third consecutive loss in a recent slump. A fortnight before the start of Roland-Garros, the Australian player was eliminated in the first round by Matteo Arnaldi, a home hero ranked 106th in the world.
This loss continues a trend of poor form for De Minaur, who has now lost three matches in a row since the Mexican Open in February. The match against Arnaldi was a tough one, with De Minaur winning the first set but faltering in the next two to eventually lose 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4. The match lasted just under three hours, with De Minaur showing signs of frustration throughout.
In the third set, De Minaur had managed to break Arlandi to level the score at 4-4. However, he was immediately broken back to love, leading to a moment of intense frustration. As the home crowd cheered and Arnaldi celebrated, De Minaur slammed his racquet into the clay. Cameras captured the moment as he raised his racquet above his head, though they cut away before the impact.
Earlier in the match, there was a notable moment of skill from De Minaur. In the sixth game, he chased down a point and hit a forehand winner around the net post, showcasing his agility and determination.
Despite this moment of brilliance, it wasn’t enough to spark a comeback. De Minaur made 37 unforced errors in the match and frequently expressed his frustration towards his players box. This loss marked his fourth defeat in his last five matches on clay.
A Big Surprise: Dino Prižmić’s Victory Over Novak Djokovic
While De Minaur’s loss was disappointing, the biggest shock of the day came from Croatian qualifier Dino Prižmić. He rallied from a set down to defeat Novak Djokovic in three sets, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4. Prižmić sealed the victory with an ace on his first match point, marking a significant achievement for the 20-year-old.
Prižmić is 18 years younger than Djokovic, who was playing his first match in two months after suffering a shoulder injury at Indian Wells in March. Djokovic had tape on his right shoulder, which became visible when he changed shirts between sets. However, he chose not to discuss any injuries, focusing instead on the performance of Prižmić.
Djokovic admitted that he wanted more than one match as his warmup for the French Open, but he acknowledged that he wasn’t at his best. “I see what I’m missing,” he said. “Late half a step. I’m not definitely where I want to be for the highest level.”
He also mentioned that he would need to play to reach his full potential. “Eventually you have to play. You have to start somewhere. I wanted to start earlier but I couldn’t. The situation is as it is. You make the most out of it.”
When asked about his confidence for the French Open, which starts in 16 days, Djokovic responded with a smile, “I don’t know. I hope so.” In his only other tournament this year, Djokovic reached the Australian Open final, where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz.
Prižmić, who had previously lost to Djokovic in the 2024 Australian Open, received praise from the Serbian star after the match. Djokovic noted that Prižmić’s forehand had improved and predicted he would go far if he could stay healthy. Prižmić also defeated world No.6 Ben Shelton at the Madrid Open last month.
“I just played unbelievably today,” Prižmić said of his victory over Djokovic. “He’s my idol.”
