The Serbian entered the tournament bidding for his first title of the season, and he was feeling confident following a run to the Miami Open final.
But the 38-year-old just could find his best form as he struggled in the cloudy and cooler conditions of Monaco compared to the heat and humidity in Miami.
Djokovic was up against Alejandro Tabilo, who announced himself with a victory over him last season. And he repeated the feat on Wednesday.
Novak Djokovic issues apology after Monte Carlo Masters defeat to Alejando Tabilo
Novak Djokovic reached the semi-finals in Monte Carlo a year ago, but he could not replicate that feat in 2025.
The former World number one faced Tabilo, a player who recorded a straight sets win against him at the 2024 Italian Open.
But Djokovic once again struggled against Tabilo, as he produced 14 unforced errors in the first set before losing 3-6, 4-6. Post-match Djokovic was so upset with his performance he issued an apology to those who watched him play.
“I was hoping it was not going to happen but there was quite a high probability I was going to play this way,” Djokovic said during his press conference.
“Just a horrible, horrible feeling to play this way and just sorry for all the people that had to witness this. I expected myself to at least put in a decent performance, not like this.
“This is horrible…I did not have high expectations really. I knew I was going to have a tough opponent. I know I was probably going to play pretty bad but this bad, I did not expect.”