“It was strangely a puppet in the hands of the Chilean”: the European press is panicked by Alejandro Tabilo’s victory over Djokovic

Alejandro Tabilo (32nd) dealt a real blow by eliminating Novak Djokovic (1st) at the Masters 1000 in Rome. The feat of the national tennis player was highlighted in the four corners of the planet. It’s not for less. He erased one of the best athletes of all time from traditional Italian competition. For this reason, the European media did not hesitate to praise the national team. And also to question the current level of who is number one in the ATP rankings.

“Djokovic was eliminated from the Rome Masters in the round of 16 by Alejandro Tabilo. Two sets (6-2, 6-3) were enough for the Chilean to beat the Serbian, in what was only the second match of the best Grand Slam winner of the Italian tournament. they emphasized in the Spanish newspaper El País.

“Tabilo continues his journey in the Rome Masters, placing himself among the 16 best tennis players in the tournament. In the round of 16, the Chilean will face the Russian Karen Khachanov,” they added.

A more powerful adjective has been added Sports world. “Monumental disaster for Djokovic in Rome with Roland Garros nearby” they headlined in their match report. “The Chilean Alejandro Tabilo, hero of Rome after eliminating world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in just over an hour,” they added on the way down.

Of course, it was in the first paragraph that they most emphasized what was done by the national team. “It was strangely a puppet in the hands of the Chilean Alexandre Tabilo , 26-year-old left-hander and world No. 32. The world number one, six-time champion at the Roman Foro Italico, fell in just over an hour, 6-2 and 6-3 (67′), in one of his worst performances that anyone can remember in recent times” said the Iberian newspaper.

On the other hand, in the Sports portal They pointed out the bottle incident that hit Nole in their previous match. “Everything came together for Djokovic, wearer of a cap which covered the small wound caused by an accidentally dropped water bottle from the stands last Friday. In 2024, he’s not at the great level he usually is and Tabilo has been sensational. It was the first time they met and the first set was over in half an hour. Belgrade did not have time to enter the match, which was also blamed on the lack of rhythm,” they wrote.

In Argentina they were also surprised by Tabilo’s victory. The traditional magazine The graphic , now transformed into a website, highlighted that what the Chilean did was a “bomb” for the competition. “Djokovic had a match to forget and fell with a comfortable 6-2, 6-3 against Alejandro Tabilo, in the third round of the Masters 1000 in Rome. “The Chilean scored a bomb during the competition held at the Foro Italico”, they suggested.

“Nole had not lost to a South American since 2016, when he lost to Juan Martín Del Potro at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Besides the Torre de Tandil, Guillermo Coria, David Nalbandian and Fernando Gonzalez “They were the only ones on the continent to have defeated Nole,” they add.

“Djokovic closed a tournament to forget, because two days ago he was unintentionally attacked by a spectator with a bottle to his head. they are finishing.

Meanwhile, in Clarín it was said that this day was a bad dream for the Serb. “Novak Djokovic lived a nightmare this Sunday at the Masters 1000 in Rome. And he had a first and last name: Alejandro Tabilo,” they say.

“Djokovic had an unexpected midday in his serve, with several double faults, including several in sensitive moments of the match, which were exploited by Tabilo, who reached a sporting milestone that only Fernando González had reached before, to defeat the best today. It was the Swiss Roger Federer who suffered against Feña in the 2007 ATP Finals, but 17 years later, hell befell Djokovic, no more and no less two weeks before the start of Roland Garros. they added.

For his part, in Olé They called what was seen in Rome “unusual.” “Will the bottle hit on your head have had any consequences? Otherwise you can’t believe what happened to you in the third round of the Rome Masters 1000,” they suggest.

“Unusual: Djokovic was crushed by the Chilean Tabilo and he was eliminated in Rome,” headlined the newspaper.