Alejandro Tabilo: How Father’s Sincere Advice on Rejecting Novak Djokovic’s Offer Paid Dividends at Italian Open

After enjoying a triumphant run at the Challenger Aix-en-Provence, Alejandro Tabilo has now made headlines at the ongoing Italian Open. The Chilean tennis star has secured a place in the semifinals of the ATP Masters 1000 event after outshining some of the big guns, including the current number 1 player, Novak Djokovic. However, Tabilo’s stellar run in Rome might not have been possible without a bit of crucial advice from his father that prevented him from walking into Djokovic’s trap.

According to La Tercera, the Chilean player received a tempting proposal from the ‘Djoker,’ who wanted to train with him for four days in Montenegro, all expenses paid. However, Alejandro’s father, Ricardo Tabilo, advised his son to reject the invitation that he received a couple of weeks before his campaign at the Italian Open. Ricardo said, “I told him not to go. They were already looking at him. Obviously, it was a success.”

The current number-32 player’s father didn’t want Djokovic to study his son’s game too much. After conferring the decision with his dad, Alejandro continued his campaign in Aix-en-Provence, where he defeated Jaume Munar in the championship match. Not only this, but the Chilean later went on to hand Djokovic his fastest knockout on clay, and here’s what he had to say about his phenomenal performance at the Italian Open.

“I was extremely happy”- Alejandro Tabilo after pulling off an upset against Novak Djokovic in Rome

Defeating the ‘Djoker’ isn’t an easy task, but Alejandro Tabilo made it look easy by thumping the Serb in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, in the round of 32 of the Italian Open. After clinching a phenomenal win against the top seed, the Chilean player couldn’t hold himself back from expressing his emotions in the press conference. He said, “I was extremely happy, I wasn’t even expecting it. I just went out there trying to do my best tennis. I was really just, like, soaking it all in when I went on center court.”

Tabilo also revealed how he had to switch off his phone as he received a flurry of messages and calls following his R32 victory. He said, “After that, it’s been crazy. My phone was going crazy. I just turned it off, tried to be with my friends,” After pulling off an upset against Djokovic, the current number 32 player went on to overcome other big guns, Karen Khachanov and Zhang Zhizhen. Tabilo will now square off against the third-seeded German Alexander Zverev for a place in the title match of this Masters 100o event.