Novak Djokovic lost to Jack Draper, 6-4, 4-6, 6-7, in the fourth round of Indian Wells.
The Serb put up a good fight, but failed to reach the quarterfinals, as Draper advanced.
Djokovic was understandably disappointed with the defeat, having lost another big match at Indian Wells.
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During his post-match press conference, Djokovic tried to find the positives from his three-set loss to Draper.
Novak Djokovic was pleased with the way he never gave up against Jack Draper
“I mean, bitter feeling right now, losing a match like this,” he said.
“But proud of myself for fighting and really giving it all on the court. That’s for sure.
“That’s the one thing that I’ll take as a highlight, you know, just the fact of not giving up and trying.
“I mean, obviously, I lost to a great player, and it was really such an even match throughout the entire two-and-a-half hours.”
Djokovic is right, as the Serb and Brit were evenly matched in California.
In fact, Djokovic won one more point than Draper, despite coming up short in a third-set tiebreaker.
Novak Djokovic vs Jack Draper – Match stats
| Stats | Novak Djokovic | Jack Draper |
| Aces | 4 | 13 |
| Double faults | 2 | 5 |
| 1st Serve % | 66% | 64% |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 65% | 74% |
| Win % on 2nd Serve | 70% | 50% |
| Break points | 3/6 | 3/7 |
| Points won | 99 | 98 |
| Service points won | 61 | 65 |
| Games won | 16 | 17 |
Still, Djokovic was disappointed as he again exited Indian Wells before the quarterfinal stage.
“But, yeah, just a bit disappointed, of course, with getting off the court, fresh off the court,” he said.
“It is okay. I mean, I wish I could have done better, but it was a good fight.”
A win for Djokovic would’ve sent him into the Indian Wells quarterfinals for the first time in a decade…
What has happened to Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells?
Djokovic won three consecutive Indian Wells titles between 2014 and 2016.
- 2014 Indian Wells Final – Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6
- 2015 Indian Wells Final – Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer, 6-3, 6-7, 6-2
- 2016 Indian Wells Final – Novak Djokovic defeated Milos Raonic, 6-2, 6-0
His 2016 triumph moved him level with Roger Federer on five title wins, with many expecting him to take the record for himself over the coming years.
But for some reason, that elusive sixth title has yet to materialise.
Djokovic began losing early in Indian Wells to several lower-ranked opponents.
Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells since 2016
| Year | Performance | Opponent | Opponent’s rank | Score |
| 2017 | Lost in fourth round | Nick Kyrgios | 16th | 4-6, 6-7 |
| 2018 | Lost in second round | Taro Daniel | 109th | 6-7, 6-4, 1-6 |
| 2019 | Lost in third round | Philipp Kohlschreiber | 39th | 4-6, 4-6 |
| 2020 (Event not held) | – | – | – | – |
| 2021 | – | – | – | – |
| 2022 | – | – | – | – |
| 2023 | – | – | – | – |
| 2024 | Lost in third round | Luca Nardi | 123rd | 4-6, 6-3, 3-6 |
| 2025 | Lost in second round | Botic van de Zandschulp | 85th | 2-6, 6-3, 1-6 |
| 2026 | Lost in fourth round | Jack Draper | 14th | 6-4, 4-6, 6-7 |
After losing to Nick Kyrgios in 2017, Djokovic was upset by the world number 109, Taro Daniel in 2018.
A year later, he was beaten by Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber in straight sets.
Djokovic then took a five-year break from Indian Wells, but didn’t fare much better when he returned.
Three-set defeats to Luca Nardi and Botic van de Zandschulp followed, before he lost to Draper this year.
The fact that his loss to Draper is technically his ‘best performance’ at Indian Wells in a decade is a real concern.
For whatever reason, Djokovic can’t find any form in the desert.
But what is the reason?
Well, perhaps it has something to do with the turnaround from the Australian Open.
Djokovic often impresses in Melbourne, and as he grows older, deep Grand Slam runs take more out of him each time.
Or, it could be as simple as the conditions changing.
We’ve heard several players complain about the court surfaces and balls over recent months, and that could also be affecting Djokovic.
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The reality is that Djokovic will want to forget about Indian Wells as soon as possible and turn his attention to the Miami Open.
Djokovic reached his sole Masters 1000 final of 2025 in Miami, where he lost to Czech rising star, Jakub Mensik.
Can he go one better in 2026? Only time will tell.
The 2026 Miami Open main draw begins on Tuesday, March 17.
