Match Reaction
Djokovic on forearm injury: ‘Hopefully it’s going to get better every day’
38-year-old Serbian opens up about injury and previews Draper clash
March 09, 2026
Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Novak Djokovic is making his 17th appearance at the BNP Paribas Open.
By Jerome Coombe
Novak Djokovic admitted that he is managing an “odd” right forearm problem after grinding his way into the fourth round at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells for the first time since 2017.
The five-time champion has needed three sets in both of his opening matches at the ATP Masters 1000 event and has been wearing a compression sleeve on his right arm while navigating the early rounds. Despite the physical concern, the 38-year-old Serbian has continued to find solutions on court, most recently battling past 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 told Tennis Channel after his third-round win. “It’s a bit odd: The more I serve, the better I feel, but then it comes on and off if I get cold.
“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 in the fourth round, a meeting that promises to test the veteran’s resilience further. Djokovic won their only previous Lexus ATP Head2Head match at Wimbledon in 2021, though Draper has developed rapidly in 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,” said Djokovic, the No. 3 player in the PIF ATP Rankings. “Then, of course, there is a challenge and obstacle across the net. It’s not going to get easier from here… Jack Draper is next, who is the defending champ and playing at a really high level again, but I love the challenge.
“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 just his second tour-level event of 2026 after he opened the year by reaching the final of the Australian Open, where he fell to world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz. Draper, meanwhile, has also been building momentum after an injury, which kept him out for five months.
“Novak is the ultimate challenge,” said Draper, who is competing in his third tour-level event 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.”
