Novak Djokovic has reinforced his intentions of playing at major ATP Tour events ahead of his comeback at Indian Wells.
Djokovic has played just one tournament in the 2026 season so far, making it all the way to the final of the Australian Open.
He lost out to Carlos Alcaraz, with the Spaniard denying the Serbian a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title and completing the career Grand Slam at the same time.
Before that, the legendary ATP figure withdrew from the Adelaide International, and afterwards Djokovic withdrew from the Qatar Open.
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Novak Djokovic’s focus on big tournaments is a boost for the ATP Tour
It has become increasingly clear that Djokovic only wants to compete among the biggest and best, with Indian Wells now next on his agenda.
The ATP Masters 1000 tournament returns to the calendar at the beginning of March, and is immediately followed by the Miami Open.
Djokovic cited strong fatigue as his reason for missing this week’s ATP 500 event in Qatar, where both Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are playing.
But the 38-year-old has made the very wise decision to continue resting following his superb and lengthy run in Melbourne.
His impending return is very welcome news for the ATP Tour, which must simply be grateful for any tournament Djokovic chooses to play in.
Given his phenomenal success, the iconic figure has earned the right to pick and choose his events as he pleases, with one final Grand Slam title seemingly his main priority.
And while the ATP Tour can definitely rely on superstar duo Alcaraz and Sinner in his absence, it is always a massive boost to have Djokovic involved.
He’s a star figure on and off the court, and undoubtedly helps draw huge crowds thanks to his legendary status, which will be massively missed when he eventually retires from tennis.
Of course, less significant ATP tournaments would welcome the icon with open arms, but it’s obvious that a fully-fit Djokovic going deep in more significant events is more beneficial for the men’s tour.
Who will retire with more Grand Slam titles – Carlos Alcaraz or Novak Djokovic?
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How has Novak Djokovic performed ahead of Indian Wells?
Importantly, the former world number one has just shown that he’s well worth the entrance fee, reaching the Australian Open final despite his age and very little warm-up.
Again, he was smart to rest and recover heading into the Grand Slam, before making a huge splash when he finally returned to the ATP Tour.
Remarkably, in terms of the rankings, he is still the third-best player in the world thanks to his latest efforts, behind only Alcaraz and Sinner.
- Rank: 3
- Win-loss: 5-1
- Titles: 0
- Prize money: $1,435,985
The Serbian currently boasts a 5-1 win-loss record for the 2026 season, and is a player that others will be desperate to avoid in the early stages of Indian Wells.
Of course, Alcaraz and Sinner will be the players to watch in California, but fans shouldn’t be shocked if Djokovic pulls off another lengthy stay on the big stage.
Epitomizing his phenomenal career is the fact that the 24-time Grand Slam champion is now returning to Indian Wells 20 years after making his debut there.
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