Novak Djokovic clawed out a 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 victory over 72nd-ranked American Aleksandar Kovacevic on Monday to reach the fourth round at Indian Wells for the first time since 2017.
Djokovic, playing his first tournament since falling to Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open final, had all he could handle from the 27-year-old New Yorker, who peppered the Serb superstar with 16 aces.
"I knew coming into the match that if he serves well and if he picks his spot in the box it's going to be tough to break him," said Djokovic, who broke Kovacevic in the final game to snatch the win.
"That's what happened actually. He was serving extremely well (except) maybe one game in the first and maybe the last game of the third set – he got a little bit tight, missed a few first serves.
"He got me into a position where I can win it and I seized it."
Things he did: THAT 🦾 @djokernole reaches the fourth round for the first time since 2017 after defeating Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 🥵 #TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/2kD5Zz9Pas
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) March 9, 2026
With five Indian Wells titles Djokovic is tied for the record with Swiss great Roger Federer.
But the Serbian superstar hasn't made it to the quarterfinals in the California desert since his last title run in 2016 and now he's had to come through a pair of three-setters to return to the last 16.
Djokovic took control with an early break in the opening set and made it hold up.
But Kovacevic was clearly warming up. He held at love in his last two service games of the opening set and rolled through the second against a clearly frustrated Djokovic.
Djokovic regrouped in the third, and despite a tumble in the eighth game found a way to win.
"That's what counts in the end, to get the 'W,'" said Djokovic, who will face either defending champion Jack Draper or Francisco Cerundolo for a place in the quarterfinals.