Novak Djokovic suffered his third successive defeat after bowing out of Indian Wells via a shock loss to Botic van de Zandschlup.

Novak Djokovic was spotted acting a little differently in his latest press conference (Image: Getty)

Concerns have been raised about Novak Djokovic’s mental state after he was seen “smiling too much” after suffering a shock defeat at Indian Wells. The Serbian, 37, was knocked out in the second round by Botic van de Zandschlup, who sealed a shock 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 victory in California on Saturday.

It marked Djokovic’s third consecutive defeat, following his Australian Open retirement against Alexander Zverev and his Qatar Open loss to Matteo Berrettini. Worryingly for the 24-time Grand Slam champion, it’s his first three-match losing streak in seven years, sparking unprecedented doubts about his ability to bounce back. Afterwards, he was all smiles in his post-match press conference, and former pro CoCo Vandeweghe reckons that could be a sign that his confidence is waning.

“The question arises – is Novak Djokovic getting too used to defeats?” the American said on Tennis Channel. “It’s a strange feeling for a player when he loses a few times like this, and then you see him in the press conference smiling a little too much, and you wonder – is he not as mentally strong as before.”

Continuing, Vandeweghe said it would be foolish to write “the greatest tennis player of all time” off, but insisted that his form in recent Masters tournament is a bit of a red flag. “I wonder if we’re getting too used to others beating him at the Masters,” she said. “We know that Novak is focusing on the Grand Slams, but are we going to relax too much and maybe it will be reflected in the Slams as well?”

Despite his smiley demeanour, Djokovic couldn’t hide how frustrated he was with his performance, having committed 37 unforced errors and hit just 16 winners during the contest. He also hit out at the on-court conditions after organisers decided to relay the court surfaces ahead of the tournament.

Djokovic congratulates Van de Zandschulp after losing to him at Indian Wells (Image: Getty)

“You know, I regret for the level of tennis, considering how I practice these days,” Djokovic told reporters. “To be honest, the difference between the centre court and the other courts is immense. Ball is bouncing on the centre courts higher than some of the highest clay courts, to be honest. I just struggled a lot with that, couldn’t find the rhythm.”

He added: “Things have been different for me in the last few years, I’m struggling to play at the level I want. I have a few good tournaments every now and then, but mostly it’s a challenge and torture for me. That’s how it is. Nothing can prepare you for such a moment, you have to go through that experience and deal with it in the best way possible.”

Djokovic is just one Grand Slam victory away from breaking the all-time record of 24, which he currently shares with Margaret Court. However, it’s been over a year since his last major title – a drought he’s experienced only once since 2014.