Despite a resilient showing in the Australian Open 2025 that took him to the semi-finals, a left thigh injury put a halt to Novak Djokovic’s pursuit of victory at Melbourne Park. Regardless, his stellar performance against Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals served as a potent reminder of the Serbian tennis titan’s danger on the world stage, particularly at the most prestigious tournaments.
However, Djokovic’s journey in 2025 has not been without its share of speedbumps. Early exits from both the Brisbane International at the hands of Reilly Opelka and the Doha ATP 500 courtesy of Matteo Berrettini have punctuated his year. The former world number 1’s chase for his 100th career title remains ongoing, with hopes of achieving this monumental feat by the close of the year.
Next on Djokovic’s agenda is the Indian Wells Masters 1000. Despite the surface not being ideally suited to his playing style, the Belgrade-born player has enjoyed a wealth of success here throughout his career. Recent years, however, have seen Djokovic struggle somewhat at this venue, with a particularly shocking defeat in 2024 against budding Italian talent, Luca Nardi.
This year, the 24-time Grand Slam champion will only be defending 50 points at the season’s first Masters 1000, but could potentially bolster his tally by 950 points should he secure his sixth trophy at the Californian venue. If victorious in Indian Wells, Djokovic, currently ranked number 7 globally, could see a resurgence into the top 4, pending his participation in this year’s Miami Open.
The Miami Masters 1000 entry list includes Djokovic’s name, but it’s worth noting that he hasn’t participated in this event since 2019, often opting to conserve energy in preparation for red clay tournaments. As we approach Roland Garros, Djokovic needs to close the gap with the top spots in the ATP ranking to avoid challenging one of the world’s top four players as early as the quarterfinals – a situation he faced in Melbourne earlier this year.