Novak Djokovic and Jessica Pegula haven’t staged the smoothest of campaigns at the 2026 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. Both players have had to survive three-set challenges in their opening two encounters. After his Round-of-32 match, Djokovic made a candid admission about his performance, while Pegula apologized to her coach and revealed her mindset in this phase of her career.
What Did Novak Djokovic Say After Reaching Indian Wells Fourth Round?
Djokovic faced an inspired Aleksandar Kovacevic in the third round on Monday, March 9. For the most part, the American kept pace with the Serb – both players winning 83 points each during the contest. In his on-court interview, Djokovic admitted that he wasn’t given many chances by his opponent, who produced a near-flawless performance, barring a few decisive errors in the first and the last set.
“I knew coming in to the match that if he serves well and if he picks his spots in the box, it’s going to be hard to break him. That’s what happened, actually. He was serving extremely well until maybe one game in the first (set) and maybe the last game of the third set of the match. He got me into a position where I can win it and I seized it,” the Serb reflected.
He clinched the opening set 6-4 with an early break, but he appeared dissatisfied with his performance during a tense interaction with his team. The five-time Indian Wells champion’s struggles were evident in the second set, as Kovacevic allowed him just one game.
Djokovic appeared exhausted in the final games of the match, shaking his right hand and dropping to the ground at one point. Despite the difficulties, he held serve and stepped it up in the last game to cross the finish line with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 score.
“I’m not really enjoying myself at all time, to be honest,” the 38-year-old confessed after the match. “You’re trying, obviously, to thrive in these kinds of conditions where you’re facing an opponent who’s playing lights out tennis; you get tight, you’re not swinging through the ball as well as you want to. Winning ugly, right? That’s what counts in the end.”
After a bye in the first round, Djokovic began his run with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 fight against Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak. He faces another tough test in defending champion Jack Draper for a place in the quarterfinal. Despite the tough match-up, the Serb boasts a 75% win probability, according to PFSN’s exclusive tennis simulator.
Why Did Jessica Pegula Apologize to Her Coach After Indian Wells Scare?
Jeļena Ostapenko gave Pegula a run for her money and seemed poised to win the contest for the first set and a half. The American was broken in the third game of the opening set and again in the first game of the second set as Ostapenko established a 6-4, 3-1 lead.
At this point, Pegula, who appeared visibly frustrated, flipped the switch to level the score at 3-3. She then broke her opponent to steal the second set 6-3. After exchanging breaks in the first two games of the decider, the American broke her Latvian opponent twice, coming out on top with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 scoreline.
“My coach just kept telling me in the stands that I’ll get my chances; I didn’t really agree with him but eventually he was right. Sorry, Mark, you were right,” she said, apologizing to her coach after the match.
MORE: Jessica Pegula Explains Reason Behind Her Rare Display of Frustration Against Jelena Ostapenko
The 32-year-old’s refined approach to success as an accomplished competitor earned the crowd’s appreciation during her on-court interview. “Win or lose, if I walk out of the court and I can at least say, ‘Hey, I tried something today that we’ve been working on and it worked,’ or if I feel it could get a little bit better, I get really excited. That’s just my obsession with this game and wanting to get better all the time.”
Pegula, who won the WTA 1000 event in Dubai, is on a seven-match winning streak. The American, who staged a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 comeback against Donna Vekic in her first match, faces Belinda Bencic next in her pursuit for a maiden Indian Wells title.
