Djokovic after his defeat at Indian Wells: "It's not very pleasant to play this way"

Five-time winner of the Indian Wells Masters 1000 in his illustrious career, Novak Djokovic left California earlier than expected this year.

Defeated in his opening match by Botic van de Zandschulp (6-2, 3-6, 6-1), the Serb is still chasing his 100th career title on the ATP Tour.

Before heading to the other side of the United States to compete in the second Masters 1000 of the Sunshine Double in Miami, Djokovic stopped at a press conference where he discussed this third consecutive defeat since his retirement in the semifinals of the Australian Open.

For the record, Djokovic has not reached the round of 16 in the American desert since 2017, when he was defeated by Nick Kyrgios.

"I just want to say there are no excuses to have after a bad performance. It's just not very pleasant to play this way on the court. Congratulations to my opponent.

You know, it's just a bad day, I think, for me. I can only regret my level of tennis, considering how I've been training these days. To be honest, the difference between the center court and the other courts is immense.

The ball bounces higher on the center court than on some of the biggest clay courts. I'm disappointed to have lost, but I think if you put things in a broader perspective, of course, I've had an incredible career.

By being consistent for so many years, you obviously have high expectations of yourself. But you know, things are different for me these last two years.

I've struggled to play at the desired level. From time to time, I have some good tournaments, but, most of the time, it's really a challenge. It's a struggle for me. That's how it is.

You know, I think nothing can prepare you for this moment of losing early in tournaments, in a way. You have to experience it and try to deal with it in the best way possible," Djokovic said.