Novak Djokovic returned to the tennis courts at the 2024 Indian Wells Open, but it didn't go as smoothly as many expected.
This Indian Wells Open is a rather special tournament for Djokovic for many reasons. Not only is it the first event he's playing after the very surprising early exit Down Under, but it's also the first time he's back at the event in several years.
The last time Djokovic played at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Indian Wells was before the pandemic, so many were curious to see how he would do this year.
The draw was a favorable one as he got Aleksandar Vukic, who is a fine player but struggled a lot this year. Predictably, Djokovic took the opening set 6-2, but the Australian surprisingly fought back to win the second.
The start of the third set was a proper fight until Djokovic finally pulled away and won the match. Speaking to the media after the match, he admitted to being a bit worried after dropping that second set because it was not part of the plan.
"Well, it was very important. Obviously at one point I was, you know, a bit worried because I lost a set, and then in beginning of third it was kind of going toe to toe. But I thought, you know, the chances will come, you know, as I, you know, stay in the match and try to raise the level of tennis."
Some rust being present isn't a huge surprise, as he hasn't played in a while, especially in Indian Wells. He did win, so that's the most important thing, and besides, his level will improve with every match. That's just what he does.
"Could I have done some things better? Yeah, of course I could. But, you know, hopefully the rust is a bit, you know, off or at least a bit less rust that I'm feeling for the next match, and the continuation of this tournament."
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