India, March 20 -- Novak Djokovic had a shock exit from the Indian Wells Masters earlier this month, losing in his very first match to Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp in a tournament he has won five times in the past. This means Djokovic has started the year with a 7-4 record, with this being his third consecutive loss. The Serb had not lost three matches in a row since dealing with injury in 2018.

Djokovic's quiet start to the year, which included retiring in the Australian Open semifinal despite defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the prior round, has led to some questions being asked whether a decline due to age is finally starting to register for the 37-year-old.

Speaking on the Tennis Channel, former American WTA pro CoCo Vandeweghe asked...