Novak Djokovic's eye infection draws alarmed reaction from Serena Williams' ex-coach Rennae Stubbs after Monte-Carlo exit

Novak Djokovic has been plagued by a concerning eye infection since his run to the 2025 Miami Open final. With the issue persisting into his campaign at the Monte-Carlo Masters, Serena Williams' former coach Rennae Stubbs has raised concerns about the Serb's condition.

Ahead of his opening match at the ATP Masters 1000 event, the 37-year-old disclosed that he had visited a doctor after struggling with his eye in his Miami Open final loss. Although the 24-time Grand Slam champion shared that the infection was "calming down," the stye was still very noticeable when he made his appearance at the Monte-Carlo Masters.

The Serb at the Monte-Carlo Masters - Source: Getty

After a bye in the first round, Novak Djokovic squared off against Alejandro Tabilo in the second round of the ATP Masters 1000 event. Tabilo dominated the encounter, claiming a 6-3, 6-4 victory to extend his perfect record against the Serb to 2-0.

Following the 37-year-old's loss, Rennae Stubbs expressed concern over the state of his eye, questioning why his stye hadn't reduced in size.

"Can someone tell me what the hell is going on with his eye?? I mean it looks like a large stye but that shouldn’t be that big now!??" Stubbs commented.

When asked about his eye in his post-match press conference, Djokovic firmly stated that there wasn't an injury to be concerned about.

"There's no injury," he said.

The Serb, who was spotted clutching his arm on the practice court, also reassured that the issue was only a "minor thing."

"Horrible feeling to play this way" - Novak Djokovic on his Monte-Carlo Masters exit

The Serb at the Monte-Carlo Masters - Source: Getty

During the same press conference, Novak Djokovic admitted that it felt "horrible" to deliver a poor performance in his opening match at the Monte-Carlo Masters. The Serb even extended an apology to the fans who had to witness the match.

"It was actually more like the worst day. Look… I was hoping it was not going to happen. But it was quite a high probability I'm going to play this way.. Just horrible. Horrible feeling to play this way... and I’m just sorry for all the people that have to witness this," he said.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion also revealed that while he hadn't placed any "high expectations" on himself, he was shocked by the "bad" level of play he produced.

Novak Djokovic will now have some time to recharge before making his return to the court at the Madrid Open, which begins on April 23. The Serb will be joined by the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, and Daniil Medvedev at the ATP Masters 1000 event.