Djoko now a Lone Ranger in his late career

Novak Djokovic is in no hurry to sign on another coach as the 38-year-old makes his way through his career’s golden years, with the five-time winner of the Indian Wells Masters surviving into the third round on Saturday.

The 24-time Grand Slam winner was playing his first match since the brutal defeat in the Australian Open final by Carlos Alcaraz more than a month ago.

He advanced in a fightback over Pole Kamil Majchrzak 4-6,6-1, 6-2 to claim his first match win here in two years.

The third seed said he needed to battle to avoid a repeat of his 2025 opening-round exit.

“It was very challenging, as it (has been) lately for me in Indian Wells, to be honest,” he said of the event he last won a decade ago.

“It’s kind of hard to find my A-game, particularly at the beginning of the tournament in the last seven, eight years of coming here, so just glad to overcome a challenge.“Right at the beginning (second set) I kind of reset and started feeling the ball better.

Crowd was amazing, honestly, for a first match. Packed house. It’s tennis paradise!”

As for his fluid coaching situation, Djokovic – travelling here with a skeleton crew – said he’s playing it by ear.

“I don’t have anyone who I can call my primary tennis coach at the moment – and I’m okay with that. I feel I have what I
need.”

He added: “I don’t think right now I’m ready to bring somebody completely new and go through the same process of getting to know each other.

“But that doesn’t mean I can’t improve my game or innovate and look for the ways to get better on and off the court.

“I’m doing that. In the off season I brought different people in, and spent some weeks of analysing and kind of deconstructing, reconstructing my game in a sense, as much time I had available.

“It paid off.. with a great tournament in Australia, beating (Jannik) Sinner in a late-night five-setter and then taking Carlos (Alcaraz) in a tight four sets.”