INDIAN WELLS, Calif.—Roger Federer says he's unconcerned about landing in the loaded bottom quarter of the men's draw of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, a section described as "quite amazing" by Novak Djokovic.
The quarter features Federer, Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Juan Martin del Potro and up-and-comers Nick Kyrgios and Alexander Zverev.
"I've been in so many draws," said Federer at a pre-event press conference at Indian Wells. "I mean, most of the guys you won't even see, because they'll eliminate each other."
The first seed that Federer, seeded ninth, could face is Steve Johnson, with a potential fourth-round match against No. 6 Nadal followed by a quarterfinal against No. 2 Djokovic. But the Australian Open champion wants to take it in stride.
"First message I got was 'Dudi Sela or Stephane Robert'. Then I heard that Rafa[el] was in my section. You're like, 'Okay.' Then I heard, maybe Novak's in your section. 'Okay, fine,'" recalled Federer. "I came here to Indian Wells to play against those guys. So it doesn't matter, semifinals, final, a fourth round."
While it means some top names will exit in the first few rounds, Federer added that it opens up the rest of the draw for players who could receive a helpful rankings boost.
Djokovic said it was "quite amazing to see so many quality players in one quarter," but acknowledged that Federer’s and Nadal's rankings were affected due to their recent injuries.
"Obviously Nadal and Federer are just starting to build their rankings," Djokovic told press at Indian Wells. He noted that Federer, as the ninth seed, would have been scheduled to meet one of the top eight seeds in the fourth round no matter where he landed in the draw. "Winning the Australian [Open] got him to Top 10, but he is still not Top 8."
Djokovic could have a potential third-round encounter with del Potro, with the two having played twice in first or second rounds since the Argentine began his comeback from wrist surgery. Del Potro won their first-round match at the 2016 Olympic Games; Djokovic won a three-set match in Acapulco two weeks ago. Should Djokovic advance, he could face 15th-seeded Kyrgios, who recently defeated Djokovic in Acapulco, in the fourth round, or 18th-seeded Zverev.
"Del Potro hasn't played too many tournaments for a couple of years, so he's also building his ranking," said Djokovic. "Zverev is also starting to get up... [and] Kyrgios.
"These guys are fantastic players."
Djokovic is the defending champion at Indian Wells, with Andy Murray the top seed. Murray acknowledged that this quarter is “one of the toughest sections of a draw of all time."
