'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Novak Djokovic's ex-coach, Boris Becker, has made his feelings known about the Serbian's withdrawal from the Italian Open. The 24-time major champion has faced consecutive early losses in his last two tournaments.
The last time Djokovic was seen in action was during the Madrid Open, where he faced his latest defeat at the hands of Matteo Arnaldi in the second round of the tournament. This was his second early loss in a row after being bested in the opening round of the Monte-Carlo Masters.
Following his Madrid Open campaign, Djokovic was scheduled to compete at the Italian Open; however, it no longer appears to be on his schedule, as The Tennis Letter reported his withdrawal from Rome. It shared the news on X, writing:
Trending
"Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from Rome. This will be his first time not playing this event since his first appearance in 2007. Hopefully he’s ready for Roland Garros."
This update captured the attention of the Serb's ex-coach, Boris Becker, who reposted the above-mentioned post and dropped a three-word reaction that read:
"That's a surprise."
Ahead of competing at the Monte-Carlo Masters, Djokovic competed at the Miami Open, where he reached the final after toppling multiple players, including Sebastian Korda, Grigor Dimitrov, and more. However, he fell short of claiming the title after being bested by Jakub Mensik in the final 7-6 (4), 7-6(4).
Novak Djokovic's ex-coach Boris Becker made his feelings known about the Serb's Miami Open heartbreak
Novak Djokovic played the Miami Open final on March 30, 2025, with a swollen right eye against Jakub Mensik. Shortly after his heartbreaking loss in the tournament, his ex-coach, Boris Becker, and Andrea Petkovic opened up about the player's setback at the tournament on an episode of the Becker & Petkovic podcast.
Highlighting Djokovic's swollen eye and talking about the performance, Becker said:
"Maybe a quick word on Novak. Not only does he have the best vision, but he actually needs both eyes, not just one. That’s why he wears glasses. He wears a contact lens. He probably couldn’t see anything out of one eye. That makes returning even more difficult, especially against a top player like Mensik. But credit where credit is due," said Novak Djokovic's ex-coach.
Along with him, Petkovic also speculated that the swollen eye might have affected the Serbian's play against Mensik.
"His eye was so insanely swollen. For those who didn’t see it– it’s not an exaggeration. Like a little style or something. His eyes were seriously swollen. That’s a good point. Maybe he just couldn’t get the contact lenses in and literally couldn’t see out of that eye," said Petkovic.
Novak Djokovic started his 2025 season by competing at the Brisbane International. He couldn't qualify further than the quarterfinals, where he was defeated by Reilly Opelka.
