Novak Djokovic has been enjoying some family time following his Australian Open exit and his next ATP appearance has now been revealed.
Djokovic's last competitive match was a four-set loss to Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals of the Australian Open last month. It has now been confirmed by the ATP that the World No. 1 will be travelling to the US next month.
Indian Wells, an ATP Masters 1000 tournament, has taken to social media to confirm Djokovic will be a part of their draw. The Serbian player is set to enter the draw at the BNP Paribas Open for the first time since 2019.
A welcome return to #TennisParadise 😀@DjokerNole will compete in Indian Wells for the first time since 2019! pic.twitter.com/i9YIo4wJTc
— BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) February 4, 2024
Djokovic's Indian Wells record
Meanwhile, Djokovic could come face to face with his arch-rival Rafael Nadal at Indian Wells as the organisers have also been promoting the Spaniard's return. They are labelling Nadal's comeback as the "return of the the King".
Djokovic is also expected to compete in the Miami Open, another ATP Masters 1000 tournament, as it would allow him to extend his lead at the top of the men's singles rankings.
The top-ranked ATP star missed out on the tournaments in the US last year since he was not vaccinated against Covid-19. The US required travellers to be vaccinated up until last spring. The 24-time Grand Slam winner missed many tournaments since 2020 due to his vaccination status, including the Australian Open 2022 and the US Open as he refused to get vaccinated.
The BNP Paribas Open this year is scheduled to go underway on March 6. Djokovic has won the trophy in the hard-court tournament five times, with the most recent victory in 2016. The Serbian is currently tied with Roger Federer for the most championships won in the history of the Indian Wells tournament.
Following his defeat to Sinner in Melbourne, Djokovic said that he was struggling with a virus during the Australian Open, which affected his performance in the semi-final fixture.
Djokovic: Will focus on Grand Slams from now
When reporters asked Djokovic about his plans for the remainder of the 2024 season, he replied: "I still have high hopes, you know, for other Slams, Olympics, and whatever tournaments that I'll play.
"It's just the beginning of the season. It's not the feeling that I'm used to. I mean, it kind of has been incredibly satisfying for me, you know, to start off most of my seasons with a Grand Slam win and never lost in semis or finals of the Australian Open."
The 36-year-old player also said since he did not match his usual standard or level in his game in Australia, it "doesn't necessarily mean that it's the beginning of the end, you know, as some people like to call it".
"It's not a secret that I want to break more records and make more history of the game and the focus will be on the Slams from now on. That's something that keeps on motivating me," added Djokovic.
Djokovic, Nadal to feature in Saudi Arabia's "6 Kings Slam"
Meanwhile, Djokovic, Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz and the newest Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner are scheduled to participate in an exhibition event in Saudi Arabia in October. Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune are the other players involved in what is being called the "6 Kings Slam" in Riyadh.
All the above-mentioned players but Rune have won at least one Grand Slam title. Djokovic holds the men's record titles with 24, followed by Nadal with 22. Alcaraz has two major trophies to his name, while Sinner and Medvedev have one apiece.
Nadal, who was forced to withdraw from the Australian Open last month due to injury, was recently announced as an ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation. After being out of action for nearly a year, the Spanish star returned to the court in January at Brisbane International, where he lost to Jordan Thompson in the quarter-finals.
