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Djokovic was bidding to create more history with a standalone record sixth men's title in Indian Wells.
But, having been given a first-round bye, he fell in his opening match after producing a string of ugly mistakes.
In a performance well below his high standards, Djokovic made 37 unforced errors and only hit 16 winners to mitigate the damage.
"Congratulations to my opponent. It was just a bad day in the office, I guess," said Djokovic, who has not gone beyond the third round in his past four Indian Wells appearances.
It was the former world number one's second successive exit at the hands of a lucky loser, having lost to Italy's Luca Naldi last year.
Djokovic's return of serve - one of the hallmarks of his unparalleled success - was particularly poor against Van de Zandschulp, who swamped the Serb's second serve to convert five of eight break point opportunities.
He recovered from a poor start and looked as if he had settled down by quickly levelling the match.
But more mistakes, which he described as "awful", allowed Van de Zandschulp to take control of the decider.
Even the return of Britain's Andy Murray to his coaching team could not prevent a below-par performance.
The pair, who are planning to head together to the Miami Open which follows Indian Wells, will be hoping Djokovic's problems are not deep-rooted.
Time is clearly catching up with Djokovic, who turns 38 in May, but his performances in Melbourne showed he can still beat most opponents if he is fully fit and motivated.
Dominant France win ends Ireland's Grand Slam hopes
Watch highlights as France beat Ireland 42-27 to end Irish Grand Slam hopes and go top of the Six Nations table.
MATCH REPORT: Rampant France beat Ireland to take control of Six Nations title race
Watch highlights on Six Nations Rugby Special on BBC iPlayer.
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This team has a well-developed and debilitating trend of falling asleep in games. They didn't score in the last 33 minutes on Saturday.
A fortnight ago they went an hour without scoring against England, against Ireland they didn't score for 41 minutes and then 26 minutes. Against Italy, they went 33 minutes without a point.
This is repeat behaviour from Scotland. Last season threw up similar numbers and so did the season before.
It didn't cost them this time, but it remains a puzzler as to why this keeps happening. Are they always going to have the propensity for napping during games?
It's why we can admire many of the things this team does, but it's very hard to trust them. We can marvel at their creativity, but elan alone is not cutting it at the sharp end of the championship.
And so to Paris against the mighty French. Scotland at their very, very best are unpredictable enough, and mad enough, to make it a scary day for Fabien Galthie.
Scotland are not a conventional team. They have players that could hurt France. They have a mindset that could cut them open and give them much to think about.
They don't have a hang-up about the French the way they do against the Irish. Psychology won't be a problem.
France will surely win - and maybe very comfortably - because on top of the flair in the backline they have monsters up front. Many, many monsters.
They have eight starters and possibly another seven on the bench. To hell, Fabien, go 8-0 and be done with it. Bring out every brute, from Perpignan to Picardy.
France won a seismic victory in Dublin and will feel invincible now. Scotland won a shaky one in Edinburgh and Lord only knows how they'll be feeling.
They won, though. That's kinda the point. But does it always have to be so dramatic?
Dupont was attempting to steal the ball in the 28th minute and was challenged by Beirne, who then fell on to the scrum-half's right leg as Irish prop Andrew Porter joined the ruck.
"We named the players [who made contact with Dupont], Tadhg Beirne and Andrew Porter, who should appear before the disciplinary commission," Galthie added.
"We want explanations, so we've named two players. We have to protect our players. There are means, there are rules. There is some kind of anger."
Ireland interim head coach Simon Easterby said the injury to Dupont, who was replaced by Maxime Lucu, came after a "rugby incident".
"Tadhg [Beirne] cleans out someone in front of Antoine Dupont and he gets hit on the back of it. It happens, unfortunately," said Easterby.
"We have moved away and players have a real awareness now of clearing out on the lower limb of the player, which can create that type of injury that might have happened today, but that wasn't the case.
"He was securing his own ball and not making contact on Dupont. Unfortunately that happens. The guy that Tadhg hit was hit on to Dupont. It's just one of those things unfortunately. It happens in the game."
Championship leaders France play Scotland in Paris next weekend in what is the concluding game of the tournament, while Ireland will look to bounce back against Italy in Rome.
'Free-scoring French leave Irish history tilt in tatters'
Although Ireland only gave away six penalties, there were plenty more occasions when France were able to play with greater freedom thanks to a penalty advantage.
If that was one way in which the visitors were able to get on such a roll, Ireland's interim head coach Simon Easterby felt their dominance in the collisions was another.
"They're as good as anyone when they get behind you and they get on the front foot," he said after his first defeat filling in for Andy Farrell.
"It's probably down a large part to the collisions that we weren't able to put in place ourselves, but also credit to the way that they play the game as well."
Across the past four seasons, these sides have now won two head to heads each, both having done so once away from home.
Barring a French stumble next weekend, it will likely be a pair of titles apiece too.
Yet, rarely, across the period has one team felt so superior to the other, even for only half an hour.
Ireland will surely point to areas where they could be and normally are better.
For the second game in succession they played 20 minutes a man down with Joe McCarthy's first-half yellow card feeling particularly avoidable.
They lacked any clinical edge during their own period of ascendancy too.
Given France's final try came off a Damian Penaud intercept from within the shadow of his own posts, it is fair to say that France scored the same seven points as Ireland did from the latter's visits to the opposition 22 across the first 75 minutes of the game.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. Weather conditions forced the cancellation of racing on Saturday at Gainesville Raceway at the 56th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals.
Eliminations will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday at the first of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all qualified No. 1 based on Fridays runs.
Gates will open at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday with eliminations to follow at 9:30 a.m. Saturday tickets can be exchanged for Sunday tickets or towards a ticket for next years national event at Gainesville Raceway.
Brown earned his 51st career No. 1 qualifier, as the defending Top Fuel world champion earned the top spot with Fridays run of 3.685-seconds at 334.24 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Matco Tools dragster. Beckman took the top qualifier in Funny Car thanks to Fridays 3.832 at 334.65 in his 11,000-horsepower PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS.
Andersons world-record run of 6.443 at 212.06 in his HendrickCars.com Camaro handed the reigning champ his 133rd career No. 1 qualifier, while Herrera took the No. 1 position on Friday with a 6.670 at 202.97 on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki.
The Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout will move to the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, which takes place March 27-30 at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.
Selections for the big-money bonus race were made on Friday in Gainesville and will carry over to Pomona. Top seed Steve Torrence will take on Tony Stewart as his opening-round opponent in the Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout, while Doug Kalitta and Clay Millican will face off in the opening round. Shawn Langdon and defending world champion Antron Brown will race while the final first-round pair features Justin Ashley and Brittany Force.
AVONDALE, Ariz. William Byron won the pole for Sunday Shriners Childrens 500 during qualifying Saturday afternoon at Phoenix Raceway.
The driver of the Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet turned a lap of 26.93 seconds at 133.680 mph on the one-mile desert race track.
Just a fast car, said Byron, who leads the NASCAR Cup Series standings. Thanks to my whole team. Theyve been bringing fast cars, and weve been doing a really good job of executing. So definitely want to go out there and have a great day tomorrow.
It was Byrons 14th pole in 256 NASCAR Cup Series starts and his second at Phoenix.
Joey Logano, who clinched his third NASCAR Cup Series title with a victory at Phoenix in November, was the second fastest qualifier in his Team Penske Ford.
The last car. I told Paul (Wolfe) just a second ago that it was going to really suck if the last car beat us and that is what happened, Logano said. Obviously a real fast lap we ran there and overall it is a really good starting spot. We will tune her in a little bit. We have a little bit of work to do in race trim but I dont think we are that bad by any means. We started second and won last time, so we will just have to go do it again.
Carson Hocevar qualified third in his Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, while Josh Berry will start fourth in the Wood Brothers Racing Ford.
The top qualifying Toyota belonged to Legacy Motor Club driver Erik Jones, who will start fifth.
Chase Elliott, Michael McDowell, Justin Haley, Tyler Reddick and Denny Hamlin completed the top 10.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Josh Herrin made history on Saturday at Daytona International Speedway when he became the first rider in Daytona 200 history to win The Great American Motorcycle Race three times in a row.
It was also Herrins fourth Daytona 200 victory, putting him one win away from tying the all-time win leaders, Scott Russell and Miguel Duhamel.
Herrin won the 83rd running of the Daytona 200 by being consistently faster than his pursuers in the infield, especially late in the race. Case in point: With just six laps to go, Herrin ripped off a 1:47.879 lap on his Celtic/Economy Lube+Tire/Warhorse HSBK Ducati Panigale V2 to seal the deal. It was a new race lap record and just .046 of a second shy of Richie Escalantes qualifying lap record from 2024.
The 57-lap race was red-flagged twice. Once when a brief rainstorm passed through the area after 24 laps, and again on the first lap of the restart when Get Fast Performances Jason Farrell crashed in turn one.
Escalantes bad Daytona luck turned around on Saturday with the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki rider finishing second to Herrin after running in the lead pack for the duration. When Herrin dropped the hammer, however, Escalante didnt have the pace to go with him and once the draft was broken it was game over.
Just a handful of people that just made this program happen, Herrin said. We were told by a bunch of people coming into this race that they didnt want us racing it, and we kind of just pushed through and did it. I couldnt be any more stoked, leaving here with three wins and a couple new records for the books. Get to celebrate with my family.
At the finish line, Herrin was 5.33 seconds ahead of Escalante, who had his hands full with his teammate Tyler Scott. Scott, who started the race from pole position, was also in the hunt from the get-go. His teammate beat him to the line by his teammate by a miniscule .008 of a second.
Fourth place went to Isle of Man TT lap record holder Peter Hickman, the Brit returning to Daytona with knowledge gained from last years debut. The PHR Performance Triumph team owner also led a few laps of the race. Hickmans teammate Richard Cooper also had the speed to run in the lead group, but his Triumph suffered a mechanical failure that put him out of the race.
Two-time Daytona 200 winner Brandon Paasch rode his TOBC Racing Triumph to fifth, one spot better than his teammate, four-time race winner Danny Eslick, who was celebrating his 20th Daytona 200.
The British Truelove brothers, Matt and Harry, finished seventh and eighth, respectively, with Matt being the last rider on the lead lap.
Isle of Man TT legend Michael Dunlop rode his Milwaukee Ducati MD Racing Panigale V2 to ninth, with Bauce BARTCON Racings Joseph LiMandri Jr. rounding out the top 10 on his Yamaha YZF-R6.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. Life is full of difficult decisions. When it comes to leaving a job someones worked for over a decade, it makes it more difficult to go somewhere else.
In the case of crew chief Dickie Venables, departing from Tony Stewart Racing and driver Matt Hagan, who hed worked alongside for 13 years, was a tough but necessary breakup.
It was difficult in that I probably got in the comfort zone working over there with the same driver and crew for basically 13 years, Venables said. Obviously the same driver and the core group of of the crew as well.
But it was time. They were wanting to head in a different direction. They still wanted me to be a part of that over there, but kind of oversee both cars and stuff. Not really be in during the week in person. I was brought up in the sport Im at the shop every day and I just always like to be around and thats what makes somebody good.
I feel like you got to live what youre doing out here. Its kind of a passion. It wasnt a job, really. It was time, they had a direction they wanted to go and I was looking to do something else.
Then came a call from Kalitta Motorsports General Manager Chad Head, who gave the four-time champion a new adventure in his storied career working with J.R. Todd and his DHL Funny Car team.
Now with a new team to lead, Venables drive to compete is burning as much as ever.
Thats what drives crew chiefs. Its no different than a driver, Venables said. Its competitive. The drivers, they compare themselves to each other and so do the crew and crew chiefs and stuff.
I was fortunate to win three championships with Hagan and won one with Tony (Pedregon). I kind of look at it as hopefully I can be a part of getting one done for J.R.
Todd and his DHL team enjoyed a win in the season-opening NHRA Gatornationals last year, however, endured more consistent struggles once the Countdown to the Championship started.
We just fell on the toilet for whatever reason, Todd said. Theres not one thing that you can pinpoint what we did or should have done.
Once Venables entered the equation during the offseason, however, its become a solid reset for the team as it aims for better results.
After a while, I feel like you kind of dont know the things you dont know until somebody like Dickie comes in, like, Hey, this is what youre doing over here. This is what I like to do.
Its just completely different than what we have done in years past, Todd said. Kind of just changes the mindset here and its definitely been a breath of fresh air seeing the guys attitudes upbeat this year, knowing that I think we all have expectations of going out there and winning races and competing for a championship, given Dickies track history.
Venables résumé speaks for itself. The multi-time champion has found immense success with some of NHRAs greats in Hagan and Pedregon.
But its not going to be that easy to flip Kalitta Motorsports lone Funny Car team around. Since Todds first title in 2018, the DHL team hasnt finished better than sixth (2020) in the points chase.
With that in mind, Todd knows it wont be a simple, flip-of-the-switch fix.
Its not like Dickie shows up and waves a magic wand on the car, its like, All right, here we go, this things gonna rip,' Todd explained.
Its gonna take races before we get a handle on things. Im OK with that.
Patience in drag racing is an ironic concept, considering the sport prides itself on quickness and smashing elapsed time and speed records.
Nonetheless, Venables is eying the long game. According to the 60-year-old, the team has made roughly 20 passes tentering this weekends NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway.
Thats become the baseline for a checklist.
Were certainly closer. Each run we are learning, Venables said. Were checking off boxes of the stuff that needs to be addressed, but its kind of a one at a time.
A nitro car is you have to kind of massage it into a position to where you can run it quick. You cant force it or they can blow up, they can do all kinds of weird stuff. Ive been doing it long enough to know you cant force it. You cant get mad at it. Just turn everything to the right. Make it go fast, because itll remind you, Hey, you shouldnt do that.
Its dangerous, its expensive, so theres a process, Venables continued. We probably made 10 half passes or less before we try to run it to the finish line.
Making sure everythings right. So OK, take it another little further down the track.'
As for this weekend, the team is in an odd position as he stated theyre still in test mode, but we are at a race.
We certainly want to qualify and do well, Venables said. But that being said, Race day is a different story.
Sometimes you do whatever it takes. Thats where the nobs might get turned to the right. But then theres a process you have to take or itll bite you.
That process can be grueling and frustrating, especially for a driver whos a proven champion. But for Todd, hes firmly at peace and trusts Venables direction.
Kind of taking baby steps, Todd affirmed. When you take big swings and it doesnt work, or whatever, kind of get yourself lost.
I told myself, before we even start the season, like, just be patient and trust the process.
Todd qualified 11th for Sundays Gatornationals as hell take on Bobby Bode III in the first round of eliminations.
TAMPA, Fla. -- The Boston Bruins got off to a good start in their new era.
Cole Koepke had a career-high two goals to lead Boston in a 4-0 win over Tampa Bay on Saturday, one day after the team finished unloading multiple players leading up to the NHL trade deadline.
Koepke scored twice against his former team, and Mark Kastelic and Nikita Zadorov also had goals.
All three players are in their first season with the new-look Bruins.
Boston's boldest move was dealing captain Brad Marchand, the last remaining player from its 2011 Stanley Cup championship team, to the Florida Panthers.
"It was a tough day," said Bruins forward David Pastrnak, one of the last familiar faces still wearing the black and gold for Boston.
The rebuilding franchise will receive a second-round draft pick from Florida, and the compensation could become a first-rounder if the Panthers win two rounds in the playoffs and the 36-year-old wing plays in half their playoff games.
Boston also sent forward Justin Brazeau to Minnesota, forward Charlie Coyle to Colorado and forward Marc McLaughlin to New Jersey along with defenseman Brandon Carlo to Toronto. Forward Trent Frederic was traded to Edmonton earlier in the week, sparking the start of the fire sale.
"We didn't burn it down," Bruins general manager Don Sweeney insisted.
The Bruins are in a pack of teams with a potential chance to earn a wild card in the playoffs, but they will have to move on without a lot of familiar faces.
"That's the worst part of our business," Pastrnak said on ESPN during an intermission interview.
Boston's management clearly decided it was time to move on. But of all the calls, the one to move Marchand struck the hardest.
"That one goes back a long ways for me and cuts deeper than, really, any player that I've had the privilege of getting to know and watch thrive and become a Hall of Famer and one of the greatest Bruins ever," Sweeney said. "So, a difficult day from that standpoint, personally."
The Bruins earned 100-plus points in each of the past six non-pandemic seasons, including two years ago when they won an NHL-record 65 games, but their only extended playoff run was a trip to the 2019 Stanley Cup Final.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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