Novak Djokovic critics receive strongly-worded message from tennis insider after slamming Serb for Indian Wells disaster

Gill Gross Defends Novak Djokovic After Indian Wells Exit, Dismisses Concerns Over Form

Tennis insider Gill Gross has come to Novak Djokovic’s defense following his early exit from the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. The 23-time Grand Slam champion suffered a shock first-round defeat to Botic van de Zandschulp after a grueling three-set battle, raising questions about his form.

Djokovic’s Recent Struggles & Injury Setbacks

Djokovic’s 2025 season has been plagued by injury concerns, with signs of trouble emerging during his Australian Open quarterfinal match against Carlos Alcaraz. Although he managed to win that encounter, he was forced to retire from the semifinals and subsequently took time off to recover.

Since returning to the tour, Djokovic has struggled to regain momentum, suffering back-to-back first-round exits in his last two tournaments. His unexpected early departures have sparked widespread speculation about whether he can rediscover his dominant form.

Gill Gross Dismisses Overreaction to Djokovic’s Form

However, Gill Gross believes these concerns are being blown out of proportion. On his Monday Match Analysis podcast (March 10, 2025 episode), Gross argued that Djokovic’s Indian Wells exit shouldn’t be viewed as a significant setback.

“If you wanna pick apart the fact that two out of the last three slams he has had an injury, sure, absolutely. Or if you wanna look at his level over a large sample size in the last two years, fair game. But if you actually care about Indian Wells for Djokovic, I don’t think that makes any sense because I don’t think Novak cares that much,” Gross stated. (13:43 onwards)

Djokovic’s Competitive Spirit Remains Intact

Despite his recent struggles, Gross emphasized that Djokovic remains fiercely competitive. He pointed out that the 38-year-old was still putting in the effort to compete at a high level.

“He competed hard and he brought Andy Murray over, so I think he wanted it, and you could tell when he was playing that he wanted it. But my main point here is that it’s not just about how much he wants it when he arrives on-site—it also matters what the build-up looked like, what February looked like,” Gross added.

What’s Next for Djokovic?

With his sights set on a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title, Djokovic will now aim to regain top form ahead of the upcoming clay-court season. While his recent results may have raised doubts, Gross’ comments serve as a reminder that writing off the Serbian legend too soon would be a mistake.