Djokovic crashes to nervous Arnaldi in Madrid opener, Swiatek advances

MADRID: Novak Djokovic admits he may have played his last-ever match at the Madrid Open after he crashed out in his opening round encounter on Saturday, while Iga Swiatek advanced to the last-16 on the women’s side of the draw.

Djokovic’s bid for a 100th career title was scuppered by Italian Matteo Arnaldi, who beat the Serb 6-3, 6-4 in the second round.

The fourth-seeded Djokovic suffered a second consecutive opening defeat, after losing his opener against Alejandro Tabilo in Monte Carlo two weeks ago.

Asked if this was his last on-court appearance in the Spanish capital, Djokovic said: “It could be. It could be. I’m not sure if I will come back. So, I don’t know. I mean, I’ll come back, maybe not as a player, of course. I hope it’s not, but it could be.”

Arnaldi, ranked 44th in the world, recorded just the second top-five win of his career and scribbled ‘OMG’ on the camera lens after his landmark victory.

The athletic 24-year-old squandered a 2-0 lead early in the contest but pounced again in the eighth game, breaking the Djokovic serve. The Italian wrapped up the opening set in 48 minutes.

Djokovic, a three-time champion in Madrid, fired 20 unforced errors in the first frame and finished the contest with a total of 32.

“He’s my idol, he’s always been. I was just glad that I could play him because I never played him, I just practiced once with him. So playing him on a stage like this was already a victory for me,” said Arnaldi, who showcased an entertaining brand of all-court tennis.

“But, you know, he is not at his best right now, so I came on court to try to play my best tennis and win. It happened. So right now, I don’t even know what to say.”

The 37-year-old Djokovic conceded he is trying to accept a “new