Novak Djokovic has won the joint-most titles at the Indian Wells. The Serbian superstar has won the title five times, tied with Roger Federer. However, the 36-year-old has not featured in the tournament for the last five years, owning to injury and vaccine issues. Now, Djokovic is fit and raring to go again in the first tournament of the ‘Sunshine Double’.
Novak Djokovic has been handed a relatively favorable draw at the Indian Wells 2024 as compared to his close rivals. The World No.1 will start the tournament as the top seed despite not participating in or winning the tournament since the last 5 years and has been given a first round bye.
However, in the second round, Djokovic could face Aleksander Vukic from Australia. The Serbian would be the favorite to get into the third round, where he will potentially face Tomas Etcheverry. Also, the Argentine young star was defeated by Djokovic in the Australian Open 2024.
But the tougher part of Djokovic’s draw starts after the third round stage. The Serbian will potentially face Tommy Paul or Ugo Humbert in the fourth round as any of the two players could cause an upset. Humbert recently won the ATP 500 title in Dubai by beating players like Hurkacz and Medvedev along the way and that would give him lot of confidence coming into the Indian Wells 2024 tournament.
Casper Ruud or Hubert Hurkacz would potentially be the quarterfinal opponents for the Serbian. Both men are coming off great runs at the Acapulco Open and Australian Open respectively in 2024.
Novak Djokovic could renew his rivalry with Daniil Medvedev in the semi-final stage and that would be an epic clash. The two tennis stars have enjoyed playing on the hard courts and could be set for another blockbuster clash. Also, in the final, the young duo of Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner will be awaiting Novak Djokovic as they look to end the Serbian’s dominance.
First Round – BYE
Second Round – Aleksander Vukic
Third Round – Tomas Etcheverry
Fourth Round – Tommy Paul
Quarter-Finals – Casper Ruud
Semi-Final – Daniil Medvedev
Final – Carlos Alcaraz / Jannik Sinner
Novak Djokovic and his imperious record at Indian Wells
Novak Djokovic will look for a record Indian Wells title in 2024. The Serbian will start as the favorite to win the title after an incredible 2023 season. However, the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will prove to be a big problem for the Serbian. Novak Djokovic last won at the Indian Wells in 2015 with a straight sets win over Milos Raonic.
Now, the 24 time Grand Slam champion has been preparing for the Indian Wells by training at the UCLA. The Serbian star even attended a NFL game in the run in towards the BNP Paribas. Despite Djokovic looking relaxed and enjoying his time, it will be interesting to see his level of tennis in the opening rounds. Moreover, Djokovic is yet to play professional tennis since his semi-final defeat at the Australian Open 2024.
