Novak Djokovic sends telling message to Jack Draper after losing Indian Wells Open blockbuster
Novak Djokovic sent a classy message to Jack Draper after his defeat to the British star in a pulsating fourth round contest at the 2026 Indian Wells Open.
Draper defeated Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) in two hours and 35 minutes on Wednesday to progress to the quarter-finals at the Masters 1000 event.
The world No 14 is the defending champion in Indian Wells, having claimed the biggest title of his career so far in Tennis Paradise last year.
It was just the second-ever encounter between Draper and Djokovic, with the legendary Serbian having won a four-set opening round match at Wimbledon in 2021.
Djokovic, the world No 3, was chasing his first Indian Wells title since 2016 and sixth overall.
In a post on Instagram, Djokovic commented on the conclusion of his campaign in the Californian desert and expressed his respect for Draper.
“A tough night in the desert,” the 24-time Grand Slam champion wrote.
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“Respect to @jackdraper, you deserve it. Great to see you back on court fighting fit. Keep it going.
“And to everyone who supported me here this week, thank you for the energy. No place like tennis paradise. See you soon.”
In his post-match press conference, Djokovic admitted he had a “bitter feeling” when asked to assess his tournament.
“Yeah, I don’t know. I mean, bitter feeling right now, losing a match like this,” said the 38-year-old.
“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.
“But, yeah, just a bit disappointed, of course, with getting off the court, fresh off the court. It is okay. I mean, I wish I could have done better, but it was a good fight.”
Djokovic is next expected to compete at the Miami Open — the second leg of the US Sunshine Double in March after Indian Wells.
The tennis icon is on the entry list for the ATP Masters 1000 tournament, where main draw play will take place from 17 to 29 March.
He was a runner-up in Miami in 2025 and has won six titles at the event — a record he shares with Andre Agassi.
