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Djokovic Addresses Indian Wells Press

Mar 9th 2017
Novak Djokovic

by Anita Stahl

Novak Djokovic struck a subdued but confident tone at his first press conference ahead of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. He described his game as “much better than it was” at the US Open last year. Having put on some weight since the end of last season but generally leaner than he has been, Djokovic is optimistic about his “balance of speed and power,” emphasizing that too much of one takes away from the other. He acknowledged the need to work on being healthy with an aging body, but stated that overall, he feels “like a different player: more comfortable, more fresh,” again comparing his condition to the end of the 2016 season.

Djokovic is in the incredibly talent rich last quarter of the ATP draw. Potentially, he could face Juan Martin Del Potro as early as the third round, Nick Kyrgios or Alexander Zverev in the round of 16, and Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, or Kei Nishikori as early as the quarter-finals. Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer have won 12 of the last 13 BNP Paribas Open titles, but this year only one could even make it to the semi-finals.