Djokovic Refuses To Find Excuses After Early Doha Loss: 'I Was Outplayed'
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Novak Djokovic didn't want to find excuses after his first-round loss at the 2025 Qatar Open in Doha. He was able to admit that his opponent just played much better than him.
Djokovic was given a brutal draw at the ATP 500 event in Doha. His first-round opponent was Matteo Berrettini, who he played against in the 2021 Wimbledon Championships final.
Now, the two players met in the first round in Qatar, but their match didn't prove to be too dramatic. Berrettini won it in two sets, dominating every time it mattered.
The Italian was the better player, which is something that Djokovic was able to recognize as well. The 24-time Grand Slam champion was asked about his health struggles after the match, but he refused to find any excuses.
Instead, Djokovic gave all of the credit to Berrettini, who just played an incredible match to beat him already in the first round of the tournament.
"I didn't have any pain or discomfort in that sense. I was outplayed by just a better player today. Yes, I wasn't at my desired level, and it could be that I'm still not moving the way I want to move, but, I mean, I played without pain, so there is no excuse in that."
"He was just the better player. I think he played a master class match, to be honest, tactically, and served very well, so just a very deserved win from his side."
Djokovic also spoke about the challenges that he now has to deal with as a 37-year-old. He knows that it will only get more challenging to win consistently, but he wants to try his best. At the same time, the Serbian insisted that he doesn't plan to change his style.
"I am trying to improve my game, as everybody else. But my game is not going to change now drastically. I'm not going to play serve and volley, maybe every once in a while, but my game is what it is, the core is going to be the same. I'm going to try to adjust depending on the surface that I play on and so forth."
"There are more injuries. Things are not the same as 10 years ago, 15 years ago. I still try to take care of my body on a daily basis, and it's more challenging now, no doubt. I still try to do my very best, given the circumstances."
The following morning after his loss, Djokovic also addressed his fans on social media. He thanked them for their support while showing respect for his opponent's level.
"Not what I was hoping for out there, but good to be back on court. Still working on getting back to my desired level, but I played without pain so no excuses. Matteo was the better player on the day and deserves his victory. Good luck, Matteo, and thank you, Qatar, for your support."
