Botic van de Zandschulp stands proud as the last player to beat Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells, doing so just last year.
Djokovic has been one of the standout players at Indian Wells over the years, claiming five titles at Tennis Paradise.
That is a joint record alongside his fellow ATP legend Roger Federer, with Djokovic now aiming to go top of the leaderboard this year.
He was denied that opportunity by Van de Zandschulp this time last year, with the Dutchman winning their second round encounter in California.
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Botic van de Zandschulp is the last player to beat Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells
Five-time champion Djokovic was the favorite to come out on top in their match, particularly given their standings at the time.
The Serbian was the sixth seed at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament, while his opponent was a lucky loser in the main draw.
But it mattered not as Van de Zandschulp battled to a stunning 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 victory after two hours and two minutes.
He unfortunately couldn’t repeat those heroics in the third round, where he lost 6-3, 6-4 to Francisco Cerundolo.
| Novak Djokovic | Botic van de Zandschulp | |
| 12/17 (71%) | Net points won | 10/12 (83%) |
| 15 | Winners | 26 |
| 37 | Unforced errors | 25 |
| 38/73 (52%) | Service points won | 52/82 (63%) |
| 30/82 (37%) | Return points won | 35/73 (48%) |
| 68/155 (44%) | Total points won | 87/155 (56%) |
How has Botic van de Zandschulp performed on the ATP Tour?
Van de Zandschulp returns to Indian Wells this year, where he starts in round one against Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
The 30-year-old is still chasing a maiden ATP singles title, although he has clinched two doubles titles over the years.
Currently 59th in the singles rankings, Van de Zandschulp reached as high as world number 22 back in 2022.
| 2026 | Career | |
| 59 | Rank | 22 |
| 0 | Titles | 0 |
| 5-4 | Win-loss | 116-116 |
| $326,113 | Prize money | $6,176,210 |
Despite never breaking the top 20, he boasts several career highlights, having also shocked Carlos Alcaraz once upon a time.
That arrived at the 2024 US Open, when the Dutchman stunned the Spanish superstar 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 in round two.
But perhaps more significant was his victory over Rafael Nadal, who retired immediately after his 6-4, 6-4 defeat to Van de Zandschulp at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals.
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Novak Djokovic’s Indian Wells nightmares
Intriguingly, Van de Zandschulp certainly isn’t the only player to have upset Djokovic at Indian Wells, one of the most iconic stops on the tour.
In 2024, he lost to another lucky loser, Luca Nardi, in round three, while in 2018 he fell to qualifier Taro Daniel in round two.
Remarkably, despite his stunning success in California, Djokovic has failed to reach the quarterfinals in his last five appearances.
The last time he reached that stage was 2016, when Djokovic clinched a third successive title thanks to a final win over Milos Raonic, having beaten Roger Federer in the previous two finals.
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