Former world number one, Novak Djokovic, has crashed out of Indian Wells in the just the second round following a shock three-set loss to Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp, a lucky loser.
Seventh-seeded Djokovic lost the first set but rallied back to claim the second as he looked to avoid losing three straight matches, but the 37-year-old succumbed to a 6-2 3-6 6-1 loss eventually.
“Things are obviously different for me in the last couple of years. I’ve been struggling to play on the desired level,” said Djokovic after the match. “Every now and then, I have couple good tournaments, but mostly it’s really a challenge. It’s a struggle for me.”
Djokovic’s loss to van de Zandschulp comes after comes after he fell at the Australian Open semi-finals Alexander Zverev in January, before losing to Matteo Berrettini at the Qatar Open in Doha.
“I kept my cool during the whole match,” van de Zandschulp said after the memorable win. “I need to be cool against the big guys. The second set was tough but I did well getting back to 5-3 and turning the momentum back.”
Meanwhile, Djokovic will be hoping Andy Murray’s return as his coach will see to an improvement in his performance ahead of the Miami Open which comes after Indian Wells.