Novak Djokovic on forearm harm: ‘Hopefully it’s going to get higher day by day’ | ATP Tour

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Djokovic on forearm harm: ‘Hopefully it’s going to get higher day by day’

38-year-old Serbian opens up about harm and previews Draper conflict

March 09, 2026

Novak Djokovic admitted that he’s managing an “odd” proper forearm drawback after grinding his method into the fourth spherical on the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells for the primary time since 2017.

The five-time champion has wanted three units in each of his opening matches on the ATP Masters 1000 occasion and has been sporting a compression sleeve on his proper arm whereas navigating the early rounds. Despite the bodily concern, the 38-year-old Serbian has continued to search out options on court docket, most lately battling previous Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 on Monday.

“I’ve been struggling the last couple of weeks with that forearm and trying to go through it,” Djokovic instructed Tennis Channel after his third-round win. “It’s a bit odd: The extra I serve, the higher I really feel, however then it comes on and off if I get chilly.

“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.”

Next up for Djokovic is defending champion Jack Draper within the fourth spherical, a gathering that guarantees to check the veteran’s resilience additional. Djokovic gained their solely earlier Lexus ATP Head2Head match at Wimbledon in 2021, although Draper has developed quickly within the years since.

“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,” stated Djokovic, the No. 3 participant within the PIF ATP Rankings. “Then, in fact, there’s a problem and impediment throughout the web. It’s not going to get simpler from right here… Jack Draper is subsequent, who’s the defending champ and enjoying at a very excessive stage once more, however I really like the problem.

“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.”

In Indian Wells, Djokovic is competing in simply his second tour-level occasion of 2026 after he opened the 12 months by reaching the ultimate of the Australian Open, the place he fell to world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz. Draper, in the meantime, has additionally been constructing momentum after an harm, which saved him out for 5 months.

“Novak is the ultimate challenge,” stated Draper, who’s competing in his third tour-level occasion of the season. “For me, he’s the greatest player of all time. I have ultimate respect for him, what he’s done for the game and what he’s still doing. I’m really looking forward to that match. It’s what I put all the work in for.”