Following Novak Djokovic's loss, Monte-Carlo becomes first clay Masters 1000 tournament since 2004 where none of the Big 3 won a match

Novak Djokovic's return to action after a month-long break did not go according to plan, as the Serb fell to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in three sets in his 2022 Monte-Carlo Masters opener.

The World No. 1 had his serve broken nine times by the Spaniard and made over 50 unforced errors in a rusty showing on Center Court. It marked the 34-year-old's first loss in his opening match of a Masters 1000 event since the 2018 Miami Open.

With both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer missing -- the former with a rib stress fracture and the latter due to knee rehab -- Monte-Carlo has become the first clay Masters 1000 event where none of the Big 3 have won a match.

The last time a clay Masters 1000 event did not feature a victory by any of the Big 3 was in 2004. Back then, the Serb had not even made his Masters 1000 debut -- he would do so only at the 2005 Cincinnati Masters.

Although Nadal had played the Monte-Carlo Masters the previous year, he sat out all three clay Masters 1000 events in 2004 with an ankle injury.

Federer, on the other hand, was a seasoned pro at that point, having already won a Masters 1000 title (2002 Hamburg Masters). He ended up winning the 2004 Hamburg Masters (now replaced by the Madrid Masters) and lost in the second round of the Rome Masters. But before that, he decided to skip the trip to Monte-Carlo.

Since missing the Monte-Carlo Masters in 2004, Nadal has appeared at the tournament every year. His worst result during this period has been a quarter-final exit, whereas he has lost his opener in Rome only once, in 2008.

The 21-time Grand Slam champion has not competed in Madrid only twice - 2005 and 2006 - and has reached at least the third round whenever he has shown up. Federer won the 2005 edition, and although the Swiss sat out the next year with an injury, Novak Djokovic made the draw as a qualifier and reached the second round.

Novak Djokovic returns home for the Serbia Open following his Monte-Carlo loss

Novak Djokovic will be seen in action next at the Serbia Open

The trip to Monte-Carlo wasn't a total loss for Novak Djokovic, as he ended up getting some vital match practice under his belt in preparation for his ultimate goal -- the French Open.

Following his nearly three-hour long encounter, the Serb will return home to Belgrade where he will participate in the Serbia Open. The World No. 1 is a two-time champion in Serbia and will headline a rather weak field.

With most of the big names opting to play in the ATP 500 Barcelona Open at the same time, the 20-time Grand Slam champion has a very good chance of getting his rhythm back with more time on the court.

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Also Check Out :-Monte Carlo Masters 2022 Schedule