Novak Djokovic's surprising exit from the Italian Open on Sunday could prove pivotal in the battle for the world No. 1 position, as the top-ranked Serb prepares to defend his French Open title while Jannik Sinner is poised to overtake him.
Just two days after being accidentally hit on the head by a water bottle while signing autographs in Rome, Djokovic, not at his best, suffered his earliest defeat in a tournament he has dominated, losing 6-2, 6-3 in the third round to Alejandro Tabilo.
Despite maintaining a 1,090-point lead over Sinner as the year's second Grand Slam approaches on May 26, Djokovic's position is uncertain as he prepares to defend 2,000 points in Paris. Simply winning the title may not be enough to maintain his top rank.
"It was a very unfortunate, unlucky situation ... that guy leaned over the fence, and the bottle dropped from his rucksack and landed on my head," Djokovic said, reflecting on the freak accident that affected his chances to pull away from Sinner.
"It was unexpected. I wasn't even looking up. Then I felt a very strong hit on the head. That really impacted me. After that, I got medical care. I experienced half an hour, an hour of nausea, dizziness, blood, a lot of different things.
"I managed to sleep OK. I had headaches. Yesterday was fine, so I thought it's OK. Maybe it's OK. Maybe it's not.
"The way I felt on the court was just completely like a different player entered my shoes. No rhythm, no tempo, no balance whatsoever on any shot. It's a bit concerning."
With only six matches on clay, Djokovic will be slightly underprepared as he heads to Paris in search of a record 25th Grand Slam title.
Even if Djokovic wins at Roland Garros, Sinner could rise to world No. 1 for the first time on June 10 by reaching the championship match.
The 22-year-old Sinner, who skipped Rome with a hip injury sustained in Madrid, will be defending only 45 points in Paris but faces a race against time to be fully fit.
Djokovic had a challenging season even before the bottle incident. His bid for an 11th title at the Australian Open was halted by eventual champion Sinner in the semifinals.
He then suffered early exits in Indian Wells and Monte Carlo, leading to concerns among fans that his aura of invincibility was waning.
Despite winning three out of four Grand Slams last year, Djokovic split with longtime coach Goran Ivanisevic and fitness coach Marco Panichi in a bid to rediscover his best form ahead of Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the Paris Olympics.
Talk of terminal decline may still be premature, and Djokovic could silence critics by winning a fourth title at the clay-court major, but he admitted that things must improve quickly after reaching May without a trophy for the first time since 2018.
"Everything needs to be better for me to have at least a chance to win it," Djokovic said.