Djokovic stunned by Jiri Vesely at Monte Carlo Masters
The world number 55 dumped the defending champion out of the first clay Masters of the season in the second round in three sets on Wednesday.
Defending champion Novak Djokovic was stunned 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 by Czech Jiri Vesely, the world 55, in Wednesday's second round of the Monte Carlo Masters.
Djokovic, winner of two of the last three editions in the Principality and the player who has dominated the ATP rankings over the past two seasons, was unable to mount a recovery against an opponent who got the upper hand by winning the opening set.
Djokovic came to the court with 22 consecutive wins in Masters 1000 play, with his last defeat coming in August in Cincinnati against Roger Federer.
The world number one had won his last 14 matches and holds four titles already in 2016, including the US Masters double from last month in Indian Wells and Miami.
Djokovic had tightened his iron grip on the sport in recent months, winning nine of his last 10 tournaments, with the only blemish in that run coming when he was forced to retire against Feliciano López in Dubai due to an eye problem.
Wednesday's defeat was his earliest on the tour since he lost in the second round of the Madrid Open in 2013 and is a significant blip in his preparations for May's French Open, the only grand slam to have eluded the 11 times major winner.