Novak Djokovic battled more than just Botic van de Zandschulp in his Indian Wells opener on Saturday—the sun was a nuisance too. The sixth seed, who got a first-round bye at the BNP Paribas Open, flipped his cap sideways to shield his eyes during a shaky 2-6, 6-3, 1-6 loss to the Dutchman.
Coming off a shock exit in Qatar, Djokovic started sluggishly, dropping the first set. He clawed back in the second, leading 4-1, but the glaring sun threw him off. “He’s going a little gangster with the hat there,” the Tennis TV commentator quipped as Djokovic adjusted mid-match. It wasn’t enough—Zandschulp dominated the decider, sending the Serb packing early.
Djokovic’s 2025 has been a rollercoaster. The 37-year-old kicked off with a quarterfinal run at Brisbane, then dazzled at the Australian Open until a semifinal retirement against Alexander Zverev due to injury. After a month off, he returned in Qatar, only to fall in his opener to Matteo Berrettini. A video of him limping into Doha’s airport sparked concern, but he downplayed it pre-Indian Wells: “That wasn’t an injury—just something else. The injury’s behind me, hopefully. I felt fine after Doha and in training here.”
The 24-time Grand Slam champ’s woes persist, though. This marks his second straight early Indian Wells exit to a lucky loser, denting a season already marred by fitness hiccups. Next up: Miami Open.
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