Novak Djokovic is on an early collision course with Nick Kyrgios at Indian Wells (Image: GETTY)
Novak Djokovic could play Nick Kyrgios in the second round of Indian Wells after being handed a tricky path to the final. The draw was completed in the early hours of Tuesday morning, with the Serb also in line to meet reigning champion in the quarter-finals.
Djokovic has received a bye to the second round, where he will face either Kyrgios or a qualifier. Kyrgios, using a protected ranking for the tournament, is one of the few players to boast a positive record against Djokovic. He has won two of their previous three meetings, with his only defeat coming in the final in 2022.
They have had a rocky relationship over the years but are now friends, with Djokovic finding an ally in Kyrgios after his ordeal at the in 2021. The man from Canberra felt Djokovic had been mistreated when it came to his vaccination stance and not being allowed to play in Melbourne.
If Djokovic makes it through his second-round clash, he could go up against Francisco Cerundulo in round three while a potential meeting with Alex de Minaur is on the cards in round four.
In the quarter-finals, he is likely to face Alcaraz after being placed in the same half of the draw as his Spanish rival.
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