Five-time Indian Wells champion Novak Djokovic suffered a stunning early exit in his opening match, falling to lucky loser Botic van de Zandschulp in three sets, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1. The defeat marks another unexpected slip for the world No. 6, who had hoped to make a deep run under the guidance of his former rival, Andy Murray.
A Rocky Start for Djokovic
From the outset, Djokovic struggled to find his rhythm, racking up a staggering 37 unforced errors. Van de Zandschulp, known for upsetting top players—having beaten Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open and Rafael Nadal in Davis Cup—capitalized on Djokovic’s inconsistency.
The Dutchman came out firing, taking control with a 6-2 first-set victory as Djokovic made 14 unforced errors. The Serbian cleaned up his game in the second, securing an early break for 3-0 and eventually leveling the match 6-3 with a forehand winner.
Van de Zandschulp Dominates the Decider
Despite Djokovic’s fightback, Van de Zandschulp remained aggressive. The turning point came in the third set, where the Dutchman grabbed an early break for 3-1. Djokovic had a chance to break back but squandered his opportunity, and from there, the floodgates opened.
With relentless pressure from the baseline and at the net, Van de Zandschulp took full control, winning the final five games to seal a 6-1 third-set victory. The defeat hands Djokovic his third consecutive loss, following his withdrawal from the Australian Open and an early Qatar Open exit.
History Repeats Itself
A year ago, Djokovic fell to another lucky loser, Luca Nardi, in the third round at Indian Wells. This time, his campaign ended even earlier, in the second round, mirroring the shocking exit of top seed Alexander Zverev and fourth seed Casper Ruud.
Van de Zandschulp, who now holds eight career wins over top-10 players, earns back-to-back ATP victories for the first time this year. Meanwhile, Djokovic’s struggles continue, raising questions about his form as he looks to rebound in the coming weeks.
What’s Next for Djokovic?
With his last Indian Wells title dating back to 2016, Djokovic will have to wait another year to chase a sixth crown. Whether this defeat signals a decline or just a rough patch remains to be seen, but for now, the Serbian legend finds himself in unfamiliar territory—on the outside looking in.
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