Serbia Open 2022 final score, winner and recap: Andrey Rublev beats Novak Djokovic in Belgrade to win 3rd title of the season

Novak Djokovic ended up on the losing side in his first final this season, falling to Andrey Rublev in front of his home crowd in Belgrade on Sunday. The Russian produced a fine display to win his 11th career title and deny the Serb his maiden trophy of 2022.

Djokovic looked physically spent as the match wore on, which wasn't surprising given the number of on-court hours he had clocked in the tournament. However, the valuable match practice the Serb gained over the course of the week should help him immensely ahead of the Masters events in Madrid and Rome.

Novak Djokovic vs Andrey Rublev score

Andrey Rublev def. Novak Djokovic 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-0

Novak Djokovic vs Andrey Rublev winner

Andrey Rublev's victory over Novak Djokovic was his first over the Serb. The pair had previously met at the 2021 ATP Finals, where Djokovic won in straight sets. The victory also marked the Russian's 11th ATP title and his third on clay.

Novak Djokovic vs Andrey Rublev match recap

Andrey Rublev produced a fine display to win the Serbia Open

The match started with both players holding serve in the first four games. It was the Russian who drew first blood by breaking Djokovic to love. He then held to love before winning the next two games and clinching the opening set 6-2.

Djokovic was eager to claw his way back into the match like he had done throughout the tournament. The Serb held his serve before breaking Rublev to go 2-0 up. However, the Russian was in no mood to back down. He broke back immediately and held serve to level the score at 2-2.

Both players produced some fine winners over the next few games. Djokovic threatened to break on a few occasions but Rublev was up to the task. The Serb had two set points at 5-4 but Rublev held his nerve and his serve.

The Russian himself fashioned out a break point in the following game but could not take advantage. Rublev saved another three set points before the set headed into a tie-break. Djokovic raced into a 3-0 lead before taking it 7-4 to level the match.

The third set saw Rublev save two break points in the opening game before breaking the World No. 1 to go 2-0 up. The Russian gained momentum and began to dominate the set. Rublev held his serve without much trouble and broke a tired-looking Djokovic another two times to bagel him and win the Serbia Open.

This was the Russian's third title of the season, having previously won the Open 13 and Dubai Tennis Championships.

Djokovic had his moments, but the lack of competitive tennis this season along with the physical exhaustion from playing four three-set matches in a week proved too much for him.