Five-time Indian Wells winner Novak Djokovic returned to the Masters event for the first time since 2019.
Ahead of his opening match, the World No. 1 reminisced his great rivalries with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal spanning nearly two decades.
'I remember John McEnroe was saying in one of the documentaries that I've seen recently that when Bjorn Borg retired, that he felt like part of him also retired, even though he kept going. But and that's, I must say, a similar feeling that I have with Roger (Federer) retiring and Rafa (Nadal) not playing much at all. It's a strange feeling. I mean, I try to find a new rival, and I had some great matches with the (Carlos) Alcaraz and (Jannik) Sinner lately, but they still remain the two biggest rivals I've ever had,' he said.
In the year of the Olympics, the 24-time Grand Slam champion will also aim for his first gold, while also not ruling out a possibility of playing in Los Angeles in 2028.
Djokovic will be 41-years-old in 2028.