Djokovic's difficult start to the season on North American hard courts continued as he struggled in his first (second-round) match at the Indian Wells Masters, losing 2-6 6-3 1-6 to world number 85 Van der Shanchop.

Djokovic put in his best performance of the season in a four-set win over Alcaraz at the Australian Open, but he has suffered three consecutive defeats since that victory. In the win over Alcaraz, Djokovic had to withdraw from the semi-final against Zverev due to a thigh injury before losing to Berrettini in the first round of the Qatar Open last month.

In the nearby box, Andy Murray, who was getting more and more depressed, watched Djokovic's struggle. Djokovic's lack of rhythm was evident from the start of the match, and he even struggled to score in the first set for a while. Dutchman Van der Shanschamp seized the opportunity and scored 18 points with 19 points in the middle of the first set. He was steady on his serve and extremely focused, while Djokovic's unforced errors were on the rise.

Djokovic initially reacted well to the difficult situation, gradually regaining his touch and composure, and took a 5-1 lead in the second set, however, his focus and overall form were still not convincing enough, and he was broken in the first service game to win the second set.

Heading into the deciding set, Van der Schamp was the first to attack, returning the ball with precision and using his movement and consistency to force Djokovic into a mistake. As a five-time Indian Wells Masters champion, Djokovic has usually been able to improve his form and turn things around in crucial moments, but this time, he was defenseless in the face of strong performances from his opponents and was quickly eliminated.

It is worth noting that Van der Shanschulp originally lost in straight sets to world No. 217 Matteo Gigant in the final round of qualifying, but was lucky to enter the main draw as the "lucky loser". Djokovic became the first top-10 player in the world to lose to the "lucky loser" at the ATP Masters two years in a row, having lost to Luca Nardi last year, and Van der Schulp being the third "lucky loser" to beat Djokovic.

Before the game, Djokovic said he was happy to return to Indian Wells for the start of the "Sunshine Double". Since missing the tournament in Doha, Djokovic has fully recovered from the injury at the Australian Open. It's not just his return to the Circle that's exciting for him, but also his partnership with former world No. 1 Andy Murray. Murray is currently alongside him at Indian Wells and is expected to accompany him to Wimbledon at the very least.

Djokovic revealed that shortly after the Australian Open, he spoke with Murray and expressed his desire to continue working together. Murray is also intrigued, but he needs to consult with his family before committing to it all. "I'm glad he decided to keep going, including Indian Wells, Miami and most of the clay season." Djokovic said in an interview at Indian Wells on Thursday.

"We'll talk about the next steps after Miami, but the current plan is to work together at least until the end of the French Open, and hopefully even go to Wimbledon together." The two former rivals now work side by side in a new relationship, both on the pitch and behind the scenes, with a fascinating way of working together. It is clear that the addition of Murray has given Djokovic a new impetus.

"I've enjoyed working with Andy." "Even though we've known each other for 25 years, the way we work together now is completely different," Djokovic said. It's a new role for him, and he's exploring how to perform at his best in that role. I try to communicate with him as much as I can on and off the pitch so that we can bond better. ”

"We had a great journey in Australia with good results. Honestly, I'm happy with my performance. Although it was unfortunate to retire due to injury, judging by the content of the competition, I probably played the best tennis game since the Tokyo Olympics. I owe this to the collaboration with Andy. ”

The 37-year-old Djokovic is well aware that he needs to make his schedule right, but he stresses that Indian Wells and Miami are important targets in his season plan. "With the exception of the Grand Slam tournaments, there are only a few tournaments that make me wake up every morning motivated and eager to do well in them." "Indian Wells and Miami are definitely at the top," he said. I'm so happy to be here and have Andy by my side. Hopefully we can have a wonderful month in the United States. ”(Source: Tennis Home Author: Spark)