"Novak Djokovic about to fire Andy Murray"; "Maybe it’s time for him to hang up his racket " - Fans react to Serb's surprise early Indian Wells exit

Fans have speculated the end of Novak Djokovic's partnership with Andy Murray after the Serb faced a shock second-round loss to Botic van de Zandschulp in the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. A few fans even opined that it is time for the 37-year-old to hang up his racket.

On Friday, March 8, Djokovic opened his campaign at Indian Wells against lucky loser Zandschulp. Unfortunately for the Serb, it was a campaign that lasted only one match as the Dutchman earned a famous 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 win.

Djokovic did not look comfortable and complained about the bounce on the court during his post-match press conference. However, since he could not adjust his game and suffered another early exit after the first-round exit at the Qatar Open, questions were raised about his partnership with coach Andy Murray.

"Joker about to fire Andy," one fan wrote.

"It was fun while it lasted Andy," another fan wrote.

"Looks like the murray-djokovic partnership wont last much longer," a third fan wrote.

Some fans believed it was time for the 24-time Grand Slam champion to retire.

"Maybe it’s time for Novak Djokovic to hang up his racket and let the next generation take over," one fan wrote.

"Djokovic needs to hang it up... He’s just hanging on trying to be relevant," another fan wrote.

"Seems like age has caught up with Djokovic like it did to Rafa and Roger," yet another fan wrote.

Djokovic and Murray announced their surprise partnership just months after the Brit announced his retirement from playing tennis. They have not set any fixed timeline to their relationship, although the Serb said they are hoping to be together for the next Grand Slam event.

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"I regret for the level of tennis" - Novak Djokovic reflects on his performance after Indian Wells exit

Novak Djokovic at the BNP Paribas Open - Source: Getty

During his post-match press conference, Novak Djokovic said he had no excuses for a "poor performance." However, he talked about the surprising court conditions at Indian Wells.

"I mean, obviously no excuses for a poor performance. Just it doesn't feel great when you play this way on the court, but congratulations to my opponent. You know, just a bad day in the office, I guess, for me," Djokovic said.

"You know, I regret for the level of tennis, considering how I practice these days. To be honest, the difference between the center court and the other courts is immense. Ball is bouncing on the center courts higher than some of the highest clay courts, to be honest," he added.

Botic van de Zandschulp has now emerged victorious against Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic in a matter of months. Next up for the Dutchman is a third-round clash against Francisco Cerundolo. Meanwhile, the Serb will head to Miami.