Djokovic Suffers Shock Defeat To Opelka In Brisbane Opener

Novak Djokovic's bid for a record-extending ninth Australian Open title got off to a shock start on Tuesday as he suffered a straight-sets defeat to American Reilly Opelka in the opening round of the Adelaide International 1.

The Serbian great, who is aiming to become the first man to win 22 Grand Slam singles titles, looked off colour from the start and was outplayed by the big-serving American, who triumphed 7-6 (8), 6-3 in one hour and 32 minutes.

Djokovic's Struggles

Djokovic, who has now lost two of his three matches since returning from a hamstring injury, looked sluggish and made a number of uncharacteristic errors. He was broken three times by Opelka, who fired down 14 aces and won 86% of points behind his first serve.

The defeat is a major setback for Djokovic, who is now a doubt for the Australian Open, which starts on January 16.

Opelka's Performance

Opelka, who is ranked 31st in the world, played a superb match. He served with great power and accuracy, and also showed impressive movement around the court.

The American broke Djokovic in the opening game of the match and held on to his serve throughout the first set. He then broke Djokovic again in the seventh game of the second set and served out for the match.

Reaction

Djokovic was disappointed with his performance but said he would not panic.

"I didn't play well today, but I'm not going to make a big deal out of it," he said. "I'm going to go back to the drawing board and work on my game. I'm confident I can still win the Australian Open."

Opelka was delighted with his victory.

"It's a dream come true to beat Novak," he said. "He's the best player in the world, so it's an amazing feeling to beat him. I'm just going to enjoy this moment and then focus on my next match."

Conclusion

Djokovic's defeat is a major shock and raises serious questions about his chances of winning the Australian Open. However, the Serbian is a proven champion and will be determined to bounce back from this setback.

Opelka, meanwhile, has shown that he is a player to watch in 2023. He is a big-serving American with a lot of potential and could be a threat to the top players in the world this year.