Novak Djokovic reveals ‘painful’ and ‘odd’ injury as concerns grow in Indian Wells | Tennis | Sport

Novak Djokovic has revealed that he is playing through an arm injury in Indian Wells, where he is through to the last 16 for the first time in nine years. It’s been a difficult tournament for the No. 3 seed so far, who has been taken to three sets in his first two matches. After surviving a scare against Aleksandar Kovacevic on Monday, Djokovic admitted he wasn’t “enjoying” competing in the Californian desert.

And that might have something to do with his latest physical setback. Djokovic has been competing with an arm sleeve throughout the tournament. However, after announcing a new collaboration with Incrediwear on his own range of recovery sleeves, this didn’t set off alarm bells.

The “infrared wearable”, as Djokovic describes it, has been put to good use, as the 38-year-old explained that his forearm had been bothering him. It doesn’t seem to be an injury aggravated by playing, though, rather the opposite.

“I’ve been struggling the last couple of weeks with that forearm and trying to go through. It’s a bit odd, the more I serve, the better I feel, but then it comes on and off if I get cold,” Djokovic told Tennis Channel after beating Kovacevic in three sets.

“If I don’t serve for five or six minutes, then I feel like the first couple of serves of that game are a bit painful. I’m working through it. It’s not something I haven’t faced before. It’s the ins and outs of being a tennis player at this level, but overall, the body is feeling okay. Hopefully it’s going to get better every day.”

The arm issue hasn’t stopped Djokovic from playing even more tennis. He entered the doubles draw with Stefanos Tsitsipas, and they shocked the No. 3 seeds and reigning champions, Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic, in the first round. Djokovic and Tsitsipas, aka ‘Stefanole’, will now face cousins and top-30 singles players Arthur Rinderknech on Valentin Vacherot on Tuesday. Then, the Serbian superstar will face reigning singles champion Jack Draper on Wednesday.

“I’m trying to manage my body and my mental state on a daily basis so that I can be peaking as much as I possibly can on a given day,” the five-time former champion in Indian Wells added.

“Then, of course, there is a challenge and obstacle across the net. It’s not going to get easier from here. Jack Draper is next, who is the defending champ and playing at a really high level again, but I love the challenge. That is one of the biggest reasons why I am still here and competing with these young guys. I want to see how they beat me — if they can — and that drives me every day to get better and prove to myself and others that I can still play at a high level.”

British No. 1 Draper is also relishing the chance to face Djokovic for just the second time. Their first meeting came at Wimbledon in 2021 when Draper made his Grand Slam debut as a wildcard ranked outside the world’s top 250 and lost in four sets. Seeded 14th in Indian Wells this fortnight, Draper is playing just his second ATP Tour event since a left arm injury forced him to shut down his 2025 season in August.

“I have been watching him since I was young. He’s obviously, I think, the greatest tennis player of all time. His mentality and just his level of tennis is always incredibly high,” Draper said of the 24-time Major winner.

“I’m going to have to play really well and take my chances but, more than anything, just very grateful to not only be out here but to be having the opportunity to play against these guys and keep on improving my level and giving myself another chance to compete on the stages I want to be at.”

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