Italian Open 2026: Prizmic Beats Djokovic in Three-Set Upset

Dino Prizmic shocks Djokovic in Rome after Madrid upset of Shelton  

20-year-old qualifier Dino Prizmic upset childhood idol Novak Djokovic 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 in Rome, handing the Serb his first opening-round loss at the tournament in 19 years.

Novak Djokovic lost his Italian Open opener for the first time in 19 appearances, falling to qualifier Dino Prizmic 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 in Rome...

Qualifier Dino Prizmic pulled off a shock win over childhood idol Novak Djokovic at the Italian Open on Friday, beating the Serb 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the second round. Djokovic looked drained and struggled with backhand mistakes in what was his first clay-court match of the season.

The defeat marked the first time in 19 trips to Rome that Djokovic has lost his opening match at the tournament.

The six-time Rome champion was competing for the first time since March. After taking the opening set, he was outplayed by the 20-year-old, who grew more aggressive and seized control with a string of powerful forehand winners.

“Big respect for Novak, he’s my idol, so it was definitely a great match for me,” said Prizmic, who sits 79th in the world rankings.

After defeating Marton Fucsovics in round one, Prizmic surged to a 4-0 lead and carried that momentum to close out the second set.

A Remarkable record comes to an end!

Prizmic hands Djokovic his first opening match defeat in Rome, what an amazing run 👏

2007 - Quarterfinals
2008 - Champion
2009 - Final
2010 - Quarterfinals
2011 - Champion
2012 - Final
2013 - Quarterfinals
2014 - Champion
2015 - Champion… pic.twitter.com/t9j1tgppBb

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) May 8, 2026

Djokovic, ranked fourth in the world, gave Prizmic the crucial break in the third set with a pair of backhand errors. The Croatian stayed composed from 3-2 up and closed out the match with an ace.

“I played unbelievable. I just want to stay focused and to be ready for the next one,” said Prizmic, who also defeated world No. 6 Ben Shelton at last month’s Madrid Open.

Djokovic will now turn his attention to the French Open, where he’ll aim for a record 25th Grand Slam title. The tournament starts May 24, two days after he turns 39.