Novak Djokovic showed distressing signs midway through his semifinal match at the Geneva Open, which he exited after losing to Tomas Machac.
Although the Serbian responded emphatically by winning the second set against the young Czech 6-0 in just under 30 minutes, his level dipped significantly in the third set, where he dropped his serve three times.
Defeat extends Djokovic's trophyless streak to five months, and failure to retain the title at Roland Garros would equal his longest title drought in a season since 2018. That year, he won his first tournament at Wimbledon after a similar inconsistent start in the first half of the season.
But what was particularly concerning in Geneva was seeing Djokovic look bereft of ideas and fall ill during the match. After a doctor was summoned, he was handed some painkillers to enable him to get through the match.
During the changeover, the television cameras caught Djokovic sipping liquid supplements with his hand shaking involuntarily. He then proceeded to inhale deeply to cool off his anxiety. The video was shared on X (formerly Twitter) and can be seen below.
Djokovic told reporters after the match that he battled a stomach upset the night before and felt "horrible" on the court in the first half of the match. He also ruled himself out from taking the favorite tag for this year's French Open, saying he was "worried" about his current form.
The 37-year-old's season is gradually entering a mini-crisis. Six defeats in the first half of the season equal the total losses he suffered in the whole 2023 campaign on the ATP Tour.
Failure to reach the Geneva final has complicated his path to retaining the World No. 1 ranking. Sinner is guaranteed to become the new No. 1 if he reaches the Roland Garros final.