Djokovic said that his subdued performance on a court where he has won six titles might have been due to the blow suffered while greeting fans on Friday night.
Djokovic's bid for a record-extending 41st Masters 1000 title was ended in just over an hour by Chilean Tabilo, who is ranked 32nd in the world but was hugely impressive and claimed his first win over a top-10 opponent.
Novak Djokovic was left in agony after being struck with a hard plastic water bottle as he left the court following his 6-3, 6-1 win over France's Corentin Moutet at the Rome Open which advanced him to the third round on Friday.
World number one Novak Djokovic said he believes he will be in top form for the French Open and hopes to prove that at the Italian Open which started on Wednesday.
Last month, the Serb ended a five-year partnership with coach Goran Ivanisevic.
The Italian world number two can come within touching distance of the top-ranked Djokovic in the standings should he triumph in Madrid this fortnight and he arrives in the Spanish capital brimming with confidence and carrying an impressive 25-2 win-loss record for the season.
Tennis great Djokovic, a record 24-time Grand Slam champion, equalled his former rival Roger Federer's tally at the prestigeous ceremony in Madrid.
Djokovic has now pulled out of the Madrid Open three times in four years.
Tennis superstar Rafael Nadal said Monday returning to action at the Barcelona Open is a "gift" and he wants to enjoy every moment of what he expects to be the last year of his career.
For any other player but Novak Djokovic, a below-par Australian Open at the age of 36 would have had pundits brushing up his tennis obituary. Djokovic, of course, is no ordinary player.
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday hailed longtime rival Novak Djokovic as the best player in the history of the sport.
Naomi Osaka said she had taken a leaf out of Novak Djokovic's tactical playbook and tweaked her return game at the Qatar Open after the former women's world number one earned back-to-back wins for the first time in almost two years.
Patience is a virtue that Sinner does possess, and eventually that paid off.
Jannik Sinner ended defending champion Novak Djokovic's bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title on Friday, snapping the Serb's astonishing 33-match winning run at Melbourne Park to reach his first major final.
The Italian ended the Serb's record 33-match winning run at Melbourne Park.
Novak Djokovic said he felt "trapped" in the heat during his battling quarter-final win against Taylor Fritz on Tuesday, which left him on track for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title.
The 36-year-old defending champion had beaten Fritz in all eight of their previous meetings, including a five-sets win at Melbourne Park in 2021 and a crushing victory at the U.S. Open last yea
Novak Djokovic marked a rare daytime appearance at the Australian Open with a dominant victory over Adrian Mannarino on Sunday as the 10-times champion flirted with a 'triple bagel' before sealing a 6-0, 6-0, 6-3 win to reach the quarter-finals.
Tennis great Rod Laver suggested Saturday that engravers could start putting Novak Djokovic's initials on the Australian Open trophy, with something "miraculous" needed to prevent him winning an 11th title.