Dino Prižmić stuns Novak Djokovic in Rome

Tennis got one of those results that makes you check the score twice. Dino Prižmić, a 20-year-old Croatian qualifier ranked No. 79, came from a set down to beat Novak Djokovic 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the second round of the Italian Open on Friday. That is a huge upset on its own. But the bigger thing is where it happened — Rome, one of Djokovic’s best clay events, in his first clay-court match of the 2026 season. ### Who is Dino Prižmić? Prižmić has been on the prospect radar for a while, but this is the kind of win that changes how people talk about you. He is 20, Croatian, and came into Rome as a qualifier rather than a seeded threat. Before this stretch, his biggest headline result this season was beating Ben Shelton in Madrid — his first career top-10 win. Rome gave him a second one, and a much louder one. (atptour.com) ### What did the match look like? At first, not shocking at all. Djokovic took the opening set 6-2 and looked in control. Then the match turned hard. Djokovic began showing visible physical discomfort in the second set — bending over between points, moving slowly to the chair, and looking far less explosive in rallies. Prižmić didn’t blink. He took the second set 6-2, then stayed aggressive enough in the decider to close 6-4. (atptour.com) ### Was Djokovic hurt? Something clearly looked off, but Djokovic did not want to get into it afterward. He gave Prižmić full credit and said he was at least pleased he fought to the end. That matters because it keeps the focus where it belongs — on Prižmić actually taking the match, not just inheriting it. Still, the visible physical dip was part of the story, and you could see it shaping the momentum after the first set. (atptour.com) ### Why is Rome such a big place for this upset? Because Djokovic almost never exits here immediately. ATP described this as the first time he lost his opening match in Rome. This tournament has long been one of his key French Open tune-ups, and usually a place where he builds rhythm on clay. Instead, he got one match — and lost it. That makes the defeat feel less like a random bad afternoon and more like a real disruption in his spring. (atptour.com) ### Why does this matter for Roland-Garros? Clay prep is about reps. You need matches, not just practice blocks. Djokovic had been away from competition for weeks and arrived in Rome for his first official clay match of the year. Losing immediately means he leaves without the kind of match volume top players usually want before Paris. It does not mean he is finished — obviously you never bury Djokovic early — but it does mean his French Open buildup now looks thinner and shakier than planned. (atptour.com) ### What changes in the Rome draw? The simple answer is that one of the tournament’s biggest names is gone early. That opens space for everyone in his section and removes a player who usually absorbs attention, pressure, and a lot of win probability. In a tournament where Jannik Sinner arrived chasing another big Masters run, Djokovic’s early exit changes the geometry of the event right away. (olympics.com) ### So what should you take from it? Prižmić did not just catch a famous name on a weird day. He stayed in the match, handled the shift when Djokovic faded, and finished the job on one of the sport’s biggest clay stages. That is how young players announce themselves. And for Djokovic, the catch is simple — Rome was supposed to be a runway. Instead, it became a warning sign. (atptour.com) (olympics.com)