Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players in history, faced another setback at Indian Wells.
The 37-year-old crashed out in the second round after a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 defeat to world No. 85 Botic van de Zandschulp, continuing a string of surprising losses at the tournament.
Indian Wells has often been a challenging venue for Djokovic, with four of his five most shocking defeats coming at this tournament.
Among these was a 2024 loss to Luca Nardi, who was ranked world No. 123 at the time. Reflecting on his latest disappointment, Djokovic admitted, “I’ve been struggling to play on the desired level for the past couple of years.”
Djokovic highlighted critical moments in the match, particularly the opening games of the third set, where he missed key opportunities.
Despite flashes of brilliance, unforced errors allowed van de Zandschulp to capitalize and seize control of the match.
