Novak Djokovic has not played a match since losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open final.
Djokovic pulled out of the Qatar Open last month, with ‘strong fatigue’ cited as the reason for his withdrawal.
After electing not to play any tournaments in February, Djokovic confirmed his intention to return at Indian Wells.
As Djokovic bids to break a Roger Federer record at Indian Wells, he has provided an update on his fitness ahead of his first match in California.
Novak Djokovic says he is feeling good ahead of Indian Wells
Djokovic will be making his 17th appearance at Indian Wells this year, and he spoke to the media in his pre-tournament press conference.
After reaching his first Grand Slam final since 2024 at the Australian Open, Djokovic was asked how he was feeling physically ahead of Indian Wells.
Are you more or less confident that Novak Djokovic can win his 25th Grand Slam now?
Despite the 38-year-old admitting that he now has to monitor his condition daily, Djokovic stated that he was feeling as good as he possibly can.
“Yeah, I mean, as good as you can feel, but it’s kind of management on a daily basis, really,” answered Djokovic. “I think my base that was developed and built in the pre-season is very good, as good as it has been in the last maybe three, four years.
“But obviously season is long, and, you know, you try to adapt as you go along, and there is always something surfacing that you have to address and deal with. Thankfully nothing major that, you know, would keep me away from competing in this tournament.
“In contrary, actually. I feel good. You know, I feel good. As I said, there is always something that you have to deal with and manage, but generally been good.”
Novak Djokovic has poor recent record at Indian Wells
Djokovic has won five titles at Indian Wells in his career, which is a joint-record with Federer, but his recent record has been under par.
Since winning his fifth Indian Wells title in 2016, Djokovic has only won four of his last nine matches at the tournament.
Djokovic lost to Botic Van de Zandschulp at Indian Wells last year, highlighting the recent struggle he has had in California.
| Year | Novak Djokovic’s Result at Indian Wells |
| 2017 | Fourth Round – Lost to Nick Kyrgios |
| 2018 | Second Round – Lost to Taro Daniel |
| 2019 | Third Round – Lost to Philipp Kohlschreiber |
| 2024 | Third Round – Lost to Luca Nardi |
| 2025 | Second Round – Lost to Botic Van de Zandschulp |
When asked about the current stage of his career he is in, Djokovic explained his motivation to keep competing and admitted that he had struggled at Indian Wells in the past 10 years.
“Well, obviously they’re different,” Djokovic said when asked about how his goals have changed. “I mean, I have talked about this the last couple of years obviously as I have received many more frequent questions about, you know, how long do I want to play for, what do I play for, et cetera.
“Of course, you know, there are objectives and goals that are always there. You want to win, so you want to get another title and get another slam, hopefully. I was close in Australia. Obviously that was an amazing start of the year for me, considering that I haven’t been able to reach the finals since the Wimbledon 2024, and, you know, lost to either [Jannik] Sinner or Alcaraz all of the slams last year.
“So it was just incredible feeling to be able to beat Sinner in five sets in one of the epic matches that I played in recent times in Australia, and then have another great match with Carlos, who was just too good in the end.
“But, you know, for me that has been a phenomenal result. So, you know, I have proven to myself primarily and to others that I can still compete at the highest level and beat these guys.
“So my logic is why not keep going as long as I have that fire and flair and quality and also motivation to do that. Schedule is unclear, as it was in the last kind of couple years. You know, it kind of revolves mostly around slams, but I kind of pick and choose where I want to play, where I feel like it’s not just from a tennis standpoint but also emotionally, you know, brand-wise, or whatever it is, you know, that inspires me to come.
“And I have my reasons, you know, Indian Wells, as I mentioned, has been always a location that I was really happy to come back to in a tournament that I really love playing.
“I haven’t had great results and performances in the last 10 years, but in the first 10 years of my career, this was one of the best tournaments.
“Yeah, that’s all. I mean, I really enjoy the thrill of competition. I enjoy still getting out there in front of the fans and really being competitive. Still number three of the world, so I don’t think it’s too bad, you know, in terms of the ranking and results and performances.
“So still competitive. I still have that edge, and I’ll keep on going as long as I feel like it.”
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Despite his struggles at the tournament in recent years, John Isner has predicted Djokovic to win Indian Wells this year.
Djokovic will play his first match at Indian Wells on Saturday, March 7, when he will play the winner of the match between Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Kamil Majchrzak.
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