Novak Djokovic won't make his return until early March, but will play Indian Wells and Miami for the first time since 2019 in his next move after his Australian Open disappointment which gave more questions than answers to some on the future of the great Serbian.
Djokovic's official website says that he will be returning in March at the BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells which is also accompanied by Miami Open to make the Sunshine Double. The 24-time Grand Slam champion has not played the tournament since 2019 having missed the ATP 1000 double for the last few years due to laws surrounding COVID-19 vaccination in the USA.
However changing in the rules meant that the first step was for Djokovic to play the US Open last year which he won as well as now returning to Indian Wells and Miami. He has played in the Middle East over three out of the last four years, but part of that will be down to him not being able to play Indian Wells and Miami. He also snubbed potentially playing Davis Cup and is on holiday in Spain as per team captain, Viktor Troicki and also gave a hint that he may not play for a while.
“I want my thoughts to settle – when I calm down, I will move on and see what tournaments I will play,” he said as per Tennis Majors. “I made a commitment to myself that I will give it my all this year, with the priority being Slams and the Olympics. We’ll see whether something will change, in this stage of my life and my career some surprising decisions are maybe more expected compared to 20 years ago."
After Indian Wells and Miami, he will likely begin his clay court season traditionally at the Monte-Carlo Masters, with Djokovic known as ever to use his time sparingly when it comes to on-court in run ups to Grand Slams.
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.