Dino Prizmic, who is the surprising executioner of Novak Djokovic at the Internazionali d'Italia
Surprising fans and insiders alike, Dino Prizmic defeated on Friday evening Novak Djokovic, a symbol of world tennis and one of the most anticipated men at the Internazionali d’Italia, which he has already won six times in his career. The victory against the Serb at the Internazionali d’Italia, which was worth a berth in the third round, is certainly one of the young Croatian’s high points: an unexpected success, however, only for those who have not closely followed his steady growth, marked by interesting peaks that today found a perfect synthesis.
Born in Split on August 5, 2005, Prizmic has been making a name for himself on the junior circuit since 2018, even going so far as to win the Roland Garros Under 18 in 2023. The transition to the pros was gradual: first ITF finals and ATP Tour debut in Umag 2022, then the first real jump in 2023 with the Banja Luka Challenger title and entry into the top 200. In the same year he also made his Davis Cup debut, a sign of the confidence that all of Croatian tennis places in him.
The 2024 should have solidified his growth path but a series of injuries, particularly to his wrist, held him back, causing him to slip to the number 380 position. The upswing began in 2025: victory at the Zagreb Open, Challenger finals in Milan and San Marino, quarters at the ATP 250 in Umag, passed qualifying at the US Open and a second round in Chengdu. Results that brought him steadily back close to the top 100.
The year 2026 marked the definitive turning point: two heavy points in the Davis Cup against Denmark, the final at the Challenger 125 in Monza, and above all the entry into the top 100, up to the number 79 reached very recently. An important milestone, which tells of a player now ripe for the big leap.
Today, in Rome, came the consecration by beating Djokovic, a champion whom two years ago he had actually already put in trouble at the Australian Open, snatching a set from him, but whom no one could imagine would fall at the first obstacle in a tournament that had seen him at least to the quarters in seventeen of his previous eighteen participations.
Prizmic, who had to get through the qualifiers (beating Rodesch and Bondioli) to get into the main draw in Rome, showed that he can compete with the best with aggressive tennis but also with mental solidity and the ability to hold up in heavy moments: his message to the best tennis players on the circuit is crystal clear.
