Djokovic Eliminated at Indian Wells as Alcaraz Advances Smoothly

INDIAN WELLS, March 9 — Five-time champion Novak Djokovic suffered a shocking early exit at the Indian Wells ATP Masters on Saturday, falling in his opening match to lucky loser Botic van de Zandschulp. Meanwhile, two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz advanced comfortably.

"No excuses for a poor performance," said 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic after committing 37 unforced errors in a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 defeat.

"It doesn’t feel great when you play this way on the court," he admitted. "But congratulations to my opponent—just a bad day in the office for me."

Van de Zandschulp has built a reputation for upsetting tennis greats, having previously stunned Alcaraz at the US Open and defeated Rafael Nadal in Davis Cup—Nadal's last professional match.

"I think I kept my cool throughout the match," van de Zandschulp said. "Against top players, losing control can make things very difficult, so I focused on staying composed."

Djokovic started sluggishly with 14 unforced errors in the opening set but found his rhythm in the second, breaking early for a 3-0 lead. He celebrated a forehand winner to the corner for his first break point, consolidating the advantage with a nod of satisfaction.

However, the momentum was short-lived. Despite closing out the second set with a commanding forehand, Djokovic struggled in the decider. Van de Zandschulp maintained aggressive baseline play and strong net coverage, capitalizing on Djokovic’s mounting errors.

After breaking for 3-1, the Dutchman dominated the remainder of the set, winning five straight games as Djokovic faltered.

"The first three or four games of the third set were close," Djokovic said. "I had my chances but made some awful mistakes."

Djokovic, seeded sixth, joined world No. 2 and top seed Alexander Zverev, as well as fourth seed Casper Ruud, in exiting the tournament in the second round.

Alcaraz Moves Forward with Ease

With Zverev out and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner serving a three-month suspension, Alcaraz, ranked third, is now the highest seed remaining in the men's draw.

The Spaniard, seeking to become just the third man—after Djokovic and Roger Federer—to win three consecutive Indian Wells titles, cruised past France’s Quentin Halys 6-4, 6-2.

Despite some early nerves, Alcaraz found his groove, securing an early break to take the first set before storming to a 4-0 lead in the second with a dominant serving performance.

He finished with seven aces and saved the only break point he faced, wrapping up the match in 67 minutes.

"The first match is never easy, so I focused on my game," Alcaraz told the supportive crowd. "I tried to stay as relaxed as possible. I’m ready for the next round and excited."

Keys Returns in Dominant Fashion, Fritz and Gauff Advance

Australian Open champion Madison Keys marked her return in style, dismantling Russian Anastasia Potapova 6-3, 6-0 in just 63 minutes in her first match since her Grand Slam triumph.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka also began her campaign for an elusive Indian Wells title, facing American McCartney Kessler.

In other results, American stars Taylor Fritz and Coco Gauff moved forward.

Fritz, the 2022 men’s champion, overcame Italian qualifier Matteo Gigante 7-5, 6-3, while Gauff, the third seed in the women's draw, battled past Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7/4). — AFP