Novak Djokovic equals Rafael Nadal's record for most ATP Masters 1000 matches, loses against Botic van de Zandschulp

Five-time champion at Indian Wells, Novak Djokovic, fell to a lucky loser for the second year in a row. 

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic came to Indian Wells Open 2025 hopeful of a turnaround in fortunes and looking to get ahead of Roger Federer. Djokovic and Federer each have five titles each at the ATP 1000 event.

However, it was not to be, as the Serb fell to Botic van de Zandschulp in his 500th ATP Masters 1000 match. Even as the former World No. #1 equalled Rafael Nadal for most match appearances, he lost to a lucky loser for the second straight year. Djokovic fell to Luca Nardi in 2024, also in three sets.

500 – Novak Djokovic will be appearing in his 500th ATP Masters 1000 match, equalling Rafael Nadal (500) for the most since the format’s introduction in 1990. Titans.#TennisParadise | @BNPPARIBASOPEN @atptour @ATPMediaInfo pic.twitter.com/icdRMvJaPx

— OptaAce (@OptaAce) March 8, 2025

Instead of a win to celebrate the milestone, a loss was awaiting the 24-time Grand Slam champion. After the 2-6, 6-2, 1-6 loss to Zandschulp, the Serb remains without a tour-level title since the 2023 ATP Finals. After 500 appearances at ATP 1000 events, Djokovic is on 409-91.

For Djokovic, the 2024 season was the most barren year since 2017, when he claimed two titles. His sole win in 2024 was the Olympic Gold in Paris.

Also Read: Top five players with most titles in men’s singles at Indian Wells Masters

It was an error-strewn match for the No. #7 seed, with 16 winners to 37 unforced errors as he recorded his third consecutive defeat of the season. The 37-year-old Djokovic is 7-4 this season after his first loss to the Dutchman. The head-to-head with Zandschulp now stands at 1-1. 

In the post-match press conference, Djokovic shared his thoughts on the difference between the centre court and the other courts in the venue. The ball bounce being higher than on clay courts upset his rhythm, he stated.

Also Read: Indian Wells Open 2025: Updated schedule, fixtures, results, live streaming details

Victory over Djokovic gave Zandschulp his eighth top-ten win and the second of the season. The 85th-ranked Dutchman will now face Argentine Francisco Cerundolo as he looks to make the round of 16 in Indian Wells for the first time. Cerundolo overcame American wildcard Mackenzie McDonald to advance to the third round.

The Serbian will now head to Florida for the Miami Open. Djokovic’s tournament wins remain agonisingly poised at 99 titles. He is just one tournament win away from joining Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103) as only the third player on the ATP Tour to have won at least 100 titles.   

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