Djokovic was eliminated in the second round of the Indian Wells Masters by Van der Shanchop. On Saturday, March 8, after receiving a first-round bye, Djokovic faced the lucky loser in the second round and eventually lost 2-6 6-3 1-6. Despite a brief counter-attack in the second set, he failed to capitalize on a couple of turnaround opportunities in the deciding set and was completely overwhelmed by his opponent.

Djokovic called it a "bad day", but instead of seeing it as a fluke, he admitted that he has been facing challenges in the 16 months since the dominating end of the 2023 season. "Obviously, the last few years have been different for me. I've been trying to get back to my ideal level. The 40-time ATP Masters champion said, "There are a few tournaments that go well once in a while, but most of the time, it's a challenge and a struggle for me. ”

"I guess there's nothing that really prepares you for moments like this. In a sense, you can only experience it yourself and deal with it in the best way possible. ”

This is the second year in a row that Djokovic has been knocked out here by the lucky loser, having lost to Luka Naldi in this tournament last year. The Serbian star was naturally disappointed with the result, and in his post-match media interview, he was blunt about his feelings.

Djokovic has not played many games so far this season, especially after the Australian Open injury. He was rushed out of the tournament at the Qatar Open, where there were reports of injury. However, he didn't want to use these as excuses, but gave his opponent full recognition.

"There's always going to be something, but I don't want to talk about it. Obviously, there is no excuse for today's poor performance. It does not feel good to play in such a way on the court, but I want to congratulate my opponent. For me, it was just a bad day in the office. Djokovic said.

Despite his displeasure with his performance, he pointed to the change in field conditions. He felt that the ball bounced at an abnormal height on Centre Court, which should not have been on a hard court, made it difficult for him to find his rhythm in the game.

"Considering how I've been training lately, I'm sorry for the level of my game. To be honest, Centre Court is very different from the others. The ball bounces higher on Centre Court than on some of the tallest clay courts. Yes, I had a lot of difficulties with this and I couldn't find my rhythm to play. He said.

It was Djokovic's first three-game losing streak since 2018. That year, after exiting the fourth round of the Australian Open, he went on to lose back-to-back tournaments at Indian Wells and the Miami Masters. His goal now should be to adjust his form and perform better at his next leg in Miami, but it's uncertain whether he'll be competing at the moment.

While Djokovic's name is on the list of entries for the Miami Open, which kicks off on March 18, he has yet to decide whether he will play. When asked about his plans at the post-match press conference at the Indian Wells Masters, he said he would discuss it with the team before making a decision.

"Yes, I haven't discussed it with Andy and the team yet, so let's talk about it and make a plan." Djokovic said. Djokovic is a five-time winner of the Miami Masters, with his last title coming in 2016. However, he has not competed since reaching the fourth round in 2019.

In 2023, Djokovic is just one win away from completing the Grand Slam of the year, with his only Grand Slam defeat of the year coming in the Wimbledon final against Alcaraz. He finished his season with seven titles (his highest number of titles since 2016), a seventh ATP Finals title, and an eighth ATP World No. 1 title, further breaking the record.

However, in 2024, he won just one title at the Paris Olympics, and since then his career tally has remained at 99, sadly failing to break the 100-title mark.(Source: Tennis Home Author: Spark)