Djokovic Disappointed After Playing 'Well Below His Level' In Banja Luka

Saturday, 22 April 2023 at 08:00

Updated at Monday, 04 August 2025 at 11:15

byZachary Wimer

Novak Djokovic's loss in Banja Luka raised concerns as the Serbian battles an injury and struggles to find form on clay.

Just a week after a shocking early exit at the Monte-Carlo Masters, Djokovic's unimpressive return to the clay courts continued at the Srpska Open, which is essentially a home tournament for the Serbian player.

The event is held in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, because the facilities in Belgrade, Serbia, are undergoing renovation, so the ATP 250 tournament can't be held in Djokovic's home city at the moment.

Still, he made his way to Bosnia and Herzegovina to compete at the Srpska Open, but it won't be a tournament that he will remember fondly. With only two matches won across two tournaments on the red dirt, the World No. 1 player is far from his best at the moment.

On top of his poor form, Djokovic has also been dealing with a right elbow injury, which hasn't troubled him for years, until now. He made the quarter-finals in Banja Luka, but lost in two sets to compatriot Dusan Lajovic.

After the match, Djokovic was very honest about what happened on the court, saying that he played too passively to succeed against someone like Lajovic.

"I had my chances, but I didn’t take them. I played quite passively, with many mistakes and that resulted in the defeat. I was way below my desired level. I can’t win against opponents who are so solid on this surface with this game."

Djokovic also revealed he struggled physically on the court, feeling slow and sluggish, and once again emphasized that his level in Banja Luka was far from his best, as he also struggled with slow courts in Banja Luka.

"I didn’t even feel good physically on the court: I felt slow, with sluggish legs; I missed a lot of balls and was totally out of shot. At times I played well, but well below my level."