Novak Djokovic brushed aside Aleksandar Vukic to make a winning return to the Indian Wells as he defeated him by 6-2 5-7 6-3 despite being tested in the initial phases of the first set on Saturday.
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"It certainly does feel like home. Five years is a very long time for a tennis player. They call this tournament Tennis Paradise for a reason. It's so amazing to be part of it as a player and a fan. There's a great community, great culture, great love for the sport," Djokovic said during an interaction.
This was Djokovic's first competitive match since his defeat in the Australian Open semi-final to Janik Sinner, who went on to win the first Grand Slam of the season. The Serbian looked both fresh and sharp, sealing the opening set with a terrific ace.
Vukic put his strong forehand to good use to break serve with Djokovic's backhand failing him early on. The former also fended off three break points and notched a 3-0 lead, but Djokovic bounced back to level the scores by 3-3.
It was a topsy-turvy deciding set where Djokovic scrapped through to get a 3-2 lead and didn't let that desert him to round off the game handsomely.
