Novak Djokovic receives the medical report he was waiting for following the bottle incident.

Novak Djokovic departed the Rome Masters under a shadow in more ways than one. Not only did he fall in startling fashion to Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo, but the manner of the loss raised serious questions about what came next for the 24-time Grand Slam champion. Tabilo defeated Djokovic 6-2 6-3 in just 67 minutes in Rome, with the six-time winner making 22 unforced errors, serving five double faults, and failing to create a single break point.

The one-sided defeat occurred two days after Djokovic tumbled to the ground after being struck by a bottle that fell from a spectator’s rucksack as the world number one signed autographs following his victory over Corentin Moutet.

“I think in the video you saw it very clearly,” Djokovic remarked following his loss to Tabilo. “It was an unpleasant and unlucky situation for me. It was an accident; when that guy leaned over the fence, the bottle fell from his knapsack and struck directly on my head. “It was clearly unexpected. I wasn’t even looking above. Then I felt a heavy knock to the head. Yes, that has had a significant impact on me. I’ve been experiencing nausea, dizziness, blood, and a variety of other symptoms for the past half hour or so.

“I slept well. I experienced headaches. The next day was very normal, so I assumed everything was fine. Maybe it’s okay. Perhaps it isn’t. “I mean, the way I felt on the court today was like a whole other player stepped into my shoes. There is simply no rhythm, timing, or balance on any shot. “It’s a little alarming. I did not run any scans or tests. Right now, I feel compelled to do it, so I shall, and see what happens. “Let’s see what happens.” Now widespread reports have confirmed that Djokovic has been given the all-clear by medics in Belgrade after he underwent scans following his return from Rome.

While that medical report will inspire Djokovic, it may also disturb him because it does not explain why his performance against Tabilo fell so far short of the standards he has set throughout his career. Following his surprising defeat over Italy’s Luca Nardi at the Indian Wells Masters in March, Djokovic’s drop in fortunes will be a huge concern for the Serbian as he prepares for his next big test at the French Open. Despite his inconsistent form, former British No. 1 Andrew Castle believes Djokovic is still the favourite to win the next Grand Slam events at the French Open and, in particular, Wimbledon.

If you ask me who is going to win Wimbledon on the men’s side, I would have to say Novak,” Castle told Tennis365 at a Game4Padel event.

“If you were betting on someone, why would you bet against the bloke who has done it all before?

“I think grass is the most specialist of all the surfaces. Some players don’t really think they have got a chance on it.

“You really need to believe you can do it and Novak knows that.

• “The generation that spawned these all-time greats of our sport is coming to a close. Roger has gone, Rafa is coming towards the end of his career and things are changing. “We have great new champions coming through, so it’s going to be a fascinating few months, but I still feel Novak is the man to beat when we get to Wimbledon.”