After losing to Casper Ruud in the Monte Carlo Masters semifinals, Novak Djokovic declared that he was “not having a great season at all.
The top-ranked player’s defeat by Norway’s Ruud, 6-4 1-6 6-4, came after a loss in the Australian Open semifinals and an early exit from the Indian Wells third round.
The 36-year-old Serbian is still vying for the year’s first championship.
“Not having a title is, compared to the last 15 years, not a great season at all,” he stated.
“There are positives to take away for sure, but I’m used to a really high standard in terms of expectations and results.”
With an 11-4 record this year, Djokovic also suffered a loss in January’s United Cup quarterfinals while representing Serbia.
His goal at the French Open next month is to capture a record-tying 25th Grand Slam championship.
He double-failed on Ruud’s match point in the Monte Carlo match, confirming the outcome and capping an intense session of tennis.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, ranked 10th in the world, will face world number 10 Ruud in the championship match. Tsitsipas defeated Jannik Sinner 6-4 3-6 6-4 earlier in Monaco.
Djokovic lost his first set of the competition as Ruud easily won the first set, but the top seed rallied admirably.
The third set was tight throughout, but when Djokovic tied the match at 4–4, he double-failed to give Ruud the advantage.
