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Novak Djokovic's comeback ended in disappointment on Friday, as he was shocked by 20-year-old qualifier Dino Prizmic at the Italian Open. The 38-year-old had not played a match in almost two months due to a shoulder injury, and this was only Djokovic's third tournament of the season. He looked fine early on, winning four games in a row to clinch the first set.

But concerns quickly grew as he started puffing, doubling over and grabbing his stomach during set two, and soon trailed Prizmic 0-4. And Djokovic went on to suffer a 2-6 6-2 6-4 defeat at the hands of the world No. 79 - his first-ever opening-round loss at the Italian Open.

Djokovic did not go into detail about whatever was bothering him on the court. It looked to be an illness, as he struggled to catch his breath during changeovers, and at one point, left commentators questioning whether he had spat or vomited on the court.

While the third seed hasn't revealed what he's been dealing with, he did raise concerns about his fitness before even taking to the match court. Ahead of the tournament, Djokovic revealed that he wasn't entirely happy with his "physical state", and that certainly became clear while he was out on court.

"I am ready enough to compete, I am not really the happiest with the level of tennis or where I am with my movement or the physical, I guess, state. But it's getting there," the six-time former champion told ATP Media days before his opening match.

"I wanted to be back on the tour earlier, but I couldn't. I was injured, so I had to deal with it progressively."

While he "wouldn't talk about" what exactly had troubled him against Prizmic, Djokovic - who turns 39 later this month - confirmed that he always had "issues" coming into big tournaments.

"It's not an ideal preparation [for the French Open], to be honest. I don't recall the last time I had, in the last couple years, a preparation where I didn't have any kind of physical issues or health issues coming into the tournament," he explained.

"There's always something. Kind of a new reality that I have to deal with. Yeah, it is frustrating. At the same time, it's my decision to still perform in that kind of state and conditions. It is what it is."

Djokovic has also confirmed that he will not play another tournament before the French Open, which begins on May 24. This will be the first time in his career that he heads to Roland Garros without a single win on clay for the season.

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