Serbian tennis titan Novak Djokovic is setting his sights on claiming his first Indian Wells title since 2016. However, a potential second-round face-off with Australia’s Nick Kyrgios could pose a significant hurdle. Djokovic has emerged victorious five times in this desert competition, but a sixth win will demand nothing less than his best performance from the get-go.
Earlier this season, the two tennis powerhouses shared the court in Brisbane, albeit on the same side. Now, if Kyrgios overcomes his first-round qualifier, an electrifying fourth singles clash between the two will be on the cards—their first in almost three years.
In a thrilling turn of events back in 2017, Kyrgios claimed victory against Djokovic twice within a span of a few weeks. These victories happened in Acapulco and Indian Wells itself. The Australian star’s performance, marked by commendable serving and strategic play, helped him secure these notable wins against the Serbian champion. It’s worth noting that their relationship was less than amicable at the time, but they’ve since buried the hatchet.
Their most recent head-to-head was at the 2022 Wimbledon final, where both players exhibited mutual respect and a shared commitment to compete in doubles. Djokovic ultimately defeated Kyrgios to secure his seventh Wimbledon title. Since then, Kyrgios has been grappling with a series of injuries that have limited his performance.
Since October 2022, the Australian athlete has only participated in three matches, two of which were at the start of 2025. His struggles continued in Brisbane and the Australian Open, leading to a break from the court. Despite this, Kyrgios remains hopeful about competing in Indian Wells without injury setbacks and potentially causing some upsets.
The prospect of going head-to-head with Djokovic, a 24-time Major winner, is likely to fuel Kyrgios’ motivation, especially if he is aiming to extend his tennis career and reclaim a spot in the top 20.
For Djokovic, Indian Wells will be his fourth tournament of the season. His journey so far has been rocky, with a loss to Reilly Opelka in Brisbane and a hamstring injury in Melbourne that forced him to retire from the semi-final against Alexander Zverev. His return to the court for the ATP 500 event in Doha was marred by an early defeat to Matteo Berrettini.
Nevertheless, Djokovic is looking to bounce back and make a deep run in one of his favorite tournaments. If both players bring their A-game, fans could be in for an exhilarating match between Djokovic and Kyrgios—their first in years. This is a showdown that promises to be nothing short of spectacular!