Qatar Open: Novak Djokovic laments aging body following first round loss

The tennis icon was upset 7-6(4), 6-2 by world No. 35 Matteo Berrettini in the opening round of the ATP 500 tournament in Doha.

The Serbian was unable to break Berrettini's serve as the Italian delivered one of the finest performances of his career.

Berrettini, a former world No 6, had not beaten Djokovic in four previous encounters â” including a showdown in the 2021 Wimbledon final.

Djokovic was playing his first singles match since a hamstring tear forced him to retire from his Australian Open semi-final match with Alexander Zverev last month.

The 37-year-old sustained the injury early in his four-set quarter-final victory over Carlos Alcaraz at Melbourne Park.

The 24-time Grand Slam winner's ability to avoid and recover from injuries has been remarkable for much of his career, but he has dealt with more physical issues in recent seasons.

Last year, Djokovic tore the medial meniscus in his right knee at the French Open but managed to recuperate from surgery in time to play at Wimbledon - where he reached the final. He then secured the Olympic gold medal in his next tournament.

In his press conference after losing to Berrettini, Djokovic discussed how he is still trying to improve as a player and also addressed his recent increase in injuries.

"I am trying to improve my game, as everybody else. But my game is not going to change now drastically," he explained.

"I'm not going to play serve and volley, maybe every once in a while, but my game is what it is, the core is going to be the same. I'm going to try to adjust depending on the surface that I play on and so forth.

"There are more injuries. Things are not the same as 10 years ago, 15 years ago. I still try to take care of my body on a daily basis, and it's more challenging now, no doubt. I still try to do my very best, given the circumstances."

Berrettini gave his reaction to Djokovic describing his performance as a masterclass.

"I think he told me at the net at the end," the 28-year-old said. "But everyone was screaming and I was trying to tell him that I had finally beaten him (laughs). We spoke in Italian and I was very happy.

"I think I heard him say that, but at the time I didn't quite understand. It's obviously a huge honour when someone like him says that about your game. I really think it was one of the best matches of my career. I felt good from the first point.

"But against Novak, you know you're going to have to maintain that level for potentially two or three hours. I had prepared for it and I'm very proud of my performance. The more the match went on, the more I felt good about it. In general, it's a good sign."

READ MORE: Aryna Sabalenka bundled out of Dubai Tennis Championships