Djokovic considers US Open his first loss of 2020

When Novak Djokovic hit a lineswoman with a ball in the fourth round of the US Open, he hadn't lost a match in 2020. While the season experienced a six-month shutdown, facts were facts: Djokovic was 26-0 dating from the ATP Cup to the start of the US Open.

Does his disqualification against Pablo Carreno Busta count as a loss? The ATP site reveals he is now 26-1 so technically yes.

"First of all, look, I don't consider myself unbeaten in general," Djokovic told virtual press in Rome. "You know, everybody is, how can I say, beatable?"

An injury withdrawal during a match would be a loss, but a withdrawal before it wouldn't really count. There's no way he, or anyone following the sport, could have imagined he'd be dealing with a disqualification.

Any debate can officially end:

"Obviously it ended the way it ended, but officially it's the first loss of the year," Djokovic said. "That's fine. I don't really pay attention to that anymore. The important thing is that the confidence is still there."

The 33-year-old had no choice but to move on after the decision was made by the tournament referee. He'd skip press and head to Europe with his sights firmly set on the next Grand Slam with a warm-up even in Rome.

"Regardless of the change of surface, I still feel comfortable and confident about my game," he said. "So hopefully I can just build that stride more and more as I'm moving deeper in this tournament and prior to Roland Garros, obviously."

Djokovic is the top seed in Rome and began his clay season with a routine win over Italian wild card Salvatore Caruso.

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