Djokovic makes fast start in Rome

Novak Djokovic made a winning return to Tour on Friday at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, where he overcame an opening-round test from French lucky loser Corentin Moutet to reach the third round in Rome.

Competing in his first match since the semi-finals in Monte-Carlo last month, the Serbian overcame a slow start to earn a 6-3, 6-1 victory in Rome. Djokovic recovered from a 1-3 deficit in the first set and dealt with Moutet’s court craft effectively in the second set to advance after one hour and 26 minutes.

"Match play is different to practise sets," Djokovic said. "I played a lefty and I have not practised with a lefty in a while, so it took me a little time to adjust to the different rotations of the ball. The first four games were quite bad from me. A bad start. I lost both my services games.

"But then I played well. I only lost one game from 1-3 down. Corentin is a very talented player. He has great hands and is very unpredictable. You don't know what comes up next, so I had to stay focused, which I did and it is a good opening match."

The No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings is a six-time champion in Rome, having last won the ATP Masters 1000 event in 2022. Djokovic is chasing his first trophy of the season and his 1100th match win in the Italian capital, with his victory against Moutet moving him to 1099.

The 36-year-old will try to clinch his 1100th win when he takes on Alejandro Tabilo. The Chilean beat Yannick Hanfmann 6-3, 7-6(4).

Most Tour-level wins

Djokovic hit with regular consistency against Moutet in the pair’s second Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting, while he forced the Frenchman to take risks due to his retrieval skills. The 98-time tour-level champion broke Moutet’s serve six times, according to Infosys ATP Stats, to improve to 18-0 in opening rounds in Rome.

"You always have doubts," Djokovic said when asked if he had any ahead of his return to Tour. "Every single match. It is just the manner of how you deal with them and how long they stay there. How long they overwhelm your whole being and mind. It is an internal battle always more than an external battle. If you win that battle the external battle becomes a little bit more likely for you to win."

As he was leaving the court, Djokovic was hit on the head by a water bottle. The management of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia issued the following statement: Novak Djokovic on leaving the Central court at the end of his match was hit on the head by a water bottle while signing autographs to spectators. He underwent appropriate medication and has already left the Foro Italico to return to his hotel; his condition is not a cause for concern."

Djokovic later updated fans on his condition, writing on X: Thank you for the messages of concern. This was an accident and I am fine resting at the hotel with an ice pack. See you all on Sunday.

Moutet was aiming to advance to the third round at an ATP Masters 1000 event for just the second time (Paris 2022). The 25-year-old is No. 79 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.