Novak Djokovic’s 2025 tennis season has so far deviated considerably from expectations, as his performance has been marred by an unexpected injury and a series of disappointing results. The Serbian tennis titan, who had previously made a remarkable appearance at the 2025 Australian Open, was forced to retire during a critical match against Alexander Zverev due to an unforeseen injury.
Apart from the Australian Open, Djokovic’s performance in other tournaments held in 2025 has been quite disheartening. The once world number 1 was ousted in the quarterfinals at the Brisbane International by his opponent Reilly Opelka. His journey at the Doha ATP 500 came to an abrupt halt when he lost to Matteo Berrettini.
All eyes were on Djokovic at the first Masters 1000 of the season, the ‘BNP Paribas Open’ in Indian Wells, where he had previously emerged victorious five times. However, in a shocking turn of events, the 24-time Grand Slam champion suffered a surprising defeat. Djokovic was bested in three sets by Botic van de Zandschulp, a player renowned for his excellent performance on hard courts, despite having lost to Matteo Gigante in the qualifiers.
In spite of his high motivation levels and the backing of his stalwart supporter, Andy Murray, the 37-year-old Belgrade native struggled to find his footing. Djokovic committed nearly 40 unforced errors, giving an underwhelming performance, particularly in the first and third sets. A sudden dip in the performance of the Dutch player allowed Djokovic to claw his way back in the second set, albeit without any remarkable plays.
This marked the second consecutive time in California that Djokovic was defeated by a lucky loser, a bitter reminder of his defeat to Luca Nardi the previous year. Currently ranked number 7 in the world, Djokovic refrained from making any excuses for his lackluster performance during his press conference, candidly acknowledging his poor play.
It’s believed that Djokovic will remain in the area to train before moving on to Miami, where the second Masters 1000 of the season is set to begin from March 19. Notably, the Serbian player has not participated in a tournament in Florida since 2019. With the world watching, it remains to be seen whether Djokovic can regain his form and restore his erstwhile dominance in the tennis world.