Novak Djokovic was stunned 7-6(4) 6-2 by Matteo Berrettini in the Qatar Open first round on Tuesday as the Italian enjoyed his first win over the former world number one.

Despite dealing with a significant muscle tear, Djokovic returned ahead of schedule to compete in Doha at the Qatar Open (called the Qatar ExxonMobil Open for sponsorship purposes

Novak Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam champion, has opened up on his shocking loss to Italy's Matteo Berrettini at the ATP Qatar Open.

Italian Matteo Berrettini upset third-seeded Novak Djokovic 7-6 (4), 6-2 in the first round of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha on Tuesday. It was the first career win in five attempts for Berrettini against the Serbian and also his first victory over a top-10 player since 2023.

Djokovic was playing his first match since limping out of his Australian Open semi-final in January. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Novak will enter his third tournament of the season. The legend lost to Reilly Opelka in Brisbane in the first week of 2025 ahead of his 20th Australian Open campaign. Djokovic reached the quarter-final and arranged the clash against world no. 3 Carlos Alcaraz.

Tuesday at the Qatar Open in the 24-time Grand Slam champion's first match since exiting the Australian Open with a hamstring injury, but he said that he didn't have "any pain or discomfort."

DOHA – Novak Djokovic admitted he was “outplayed” as his comeback came to a crashing halt on Feb 18, when he lost 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 to Matteo Berrettini in the second round of the Qatar Open.

The prestigious Doha ATP 500 offers a really interesting first round on Tuesday. Novak Djokovic – who returns from his left thigh injury suffered at the 2025 Australian Open – will make his debut in singles against Matteo Berrettini.