The Serbian tennis player, who is still not vaccinated, had been included in the draw for both tournaments, but the authorities prevent him from entering the country
Novak Djokovic, number two in world tennis, confirmed this Wednesday that he will not be able to compete this month in the Masters 1000 in Indian Wells and Miami due to restrictions on the entry of people not vaccinated against the coronavirus into the United States. “Although he was automatically on the draw list for Indian Wells and Miami, he knew it would be unlikely that he would be able to travel,” Djokovic said in a message on Twitter. “The CDC (United States health authority) has confirmed that the regulations will not change, so I will not be able to play in the United States. Good luck to those who play in these big tournaments », he noted.
Djokovic, who already missed the Australian Open in January due to his refusal to be vaccinated, was included until Wednesday in the Indian Wells participant draw, a tournament he has won five times and whose men’s first round starts on Thursday.
On Tuesday, the organizers of Indian Wells, the first Masters 1000 of the season, surprised to report that Djokovic was to be included in the draw for first-round matches. The organization stated that it was in communication with the Serb’s team to determine if he could receive authorization to enter the United States, which he has not finally obtained.
According to government regulations, all travelers who are not US citizens must have the complete vaccination schedule against covid-19 to enter the country. Due to not being vaccinated, Djokovic already lost a legal battle in Australia earlier this year, where the national authorities canceled his visa and forced him to leave the country without competing in the Melbourne Open, the first Grand Slam of the season.
In February, Djokovic returned to the courts at the Dubai tournament as the United Arab Emirates does not require vaccination to enter its territory. His elimination in the quarterfinals of that event caused him to be surpassed by Russian Daniil Medvedev as number one in the ATP ranking.
Djokovic, 34, will thus miss both Indian Wells, which will take place until March 20 in that desert town in the state of California, and the Miami Open, which will be held from March 21 to April 3.
The Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov will take his place among the top seeds in Indian Wells, where practically all the figures on the circuit are already. Among them are Medvedev himself and Spaniard Rafa Nadal, who started the year by winning the Australian Open and surpassing Djokovic and Roger Federer in the number of Grand Slam titles (21). The organizers of the event also require that spectators be vaccinated to enter the facilities where the tournament is held.
