"I'm starting to lose faith, I don't know what happened": Novak Djokovic's Indian Wells slump leaves Sam Querrey befuddled

Sam Querrey has said that he is starting to lose faith when it comes to Novak Djokovic and whether he can bounce back after his early loss at Indian Wells to Botic van de Zandschulp and said that after protecting the narrative that his star might be fading that it might be a matter of time.

He said on the Nothing Major Podcast with Jack Sock and Steve Johnson that it was puzzling that he was practicing well and then lost as he did with a long time to go until he can put it right too.

“We’re all like very bullish on Novak still, especially me. I’m starting to lose faith now, I don’t know what happened,” said Querrey. “He was practicing well he said and then went out there and losing that match, so odd I feel like to lose that and now he’s got like the next 12 days.”

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For Johnson though, it is all about the fact that he doesn't have anything to prove and in reality an Indian Wells having won it six times won't move the needle for him anymore which brings together the question of inner motivation.

“I mean I’ve said it a few times, like what is there to prove for him,” said Johnson. “I just don’t know what gets him excited to go out and compete non-stop, like he has done it for so long, his entire career, he’s an incredible, incredible competitor and he just seems flat out there.

“Winning Indian Wells doesn’t get the juices going, it doesn’t move the needle for him in his career anymore. I mean the guy has won everything multiple times over, it’s truly remarkable that he’s still doing it.

“You know I think a lot of us would probably have called it a career by now if we had this many titles and all the records and what not, but it just looks like he’s just flat and the vibes play with Murray in the box didn’t get him to where he needed to be this week at Indian Wells, which it did in Australia.

“And I just think the mojo is not there for these smaller tournaments, I think we’re going to see him be fine at the French Open and Wimbledon. And you know he’s only going to have that opportunity the next time he plays and it might be Miami.

“It might be a while so it’s going to be interesting to see with him and it’s just weird to see him kind of handing guys you know career wins on his last potentially, last couple years, tournaments, who knows on tour. It’s weird to see Novak as a human out there, losing three matches in a row.”

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