Five-time Indian Wells champion Novak Djokovic suffered a shocking early exit at the ATP Masters event on Saturday, falling to lucky loser Botic van de Zandschulp in his opening match.
The Dutch player, who previously defeated Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open and Rafael Nadal in the Davis Cup, outplayed the 24-time Grand Slam winner with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 victory. Djokovic, the sixth seed, joined top contenders Alexander Zverev and Casper Ruud in making a second-round departure.
Despite battling back in the second set, Djokovic struggled with 37 unforced errors, which proved costly. Van de Zandschulp kept up the intensity, securing a crucial break in the third set and closing out the match with a dominant finish.
The defeat marks Djokovic’s earliest Indian Wells exit since 2024, when he lost in the third round to another lucky loser, Luca Nardi. Meanwhile, van de Zandschulp recorded his eighth career victory over a top-10 opponent and secured consecutive ATP wins for the first time this season.
Source: Swifteradio.com
