Novak Djokovic announced Wednesday night that he will not play at Indian Wells due to his unvaccinated status.
The men’s portion of the BNP Paribas Open begins Thursday and Djokovic is listed on the draw despite current U.S. policy stating that non-citizens must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and show proof of a negative test to enter the country.
Djokovic said on Twitter that he knew it was unlikely he’d be able to play. He also said he won’t be playing at the Miami Open either.
“While I was automatically listed in the @BNPPARIBASOPEN and @MiamiOpen draw I knew it would be unlikely I’d be able to travel. The CDC has confirmed that regulations won’t be changing so I won’t be able to play in the US,” the World No. 2 posted on Twitter.
[SOCIAL[
While I was automatically listed in the @BNPPARIBASOPEN and @MiamiOpen draw I knew it would be unlikely I’d be able to travel. The CDC has confirmed that regulations won’t be changing so I won't be able to play in the US. Good luck to those playing in these great tournaments ??
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) March 9, 2022
The Serbian star was embroiled in a huge dispute with Australia when he tried to play in the Australian Open in January.
After an initial ruling to void his visa due to his unvaccinated status, Djokovic appealed and eventually lost in front of a panel of three judges before being deported.
The 34-year-old Djokovic was World No. 1 at the time but has since dropped behind Daniil Medvedev after being upset by Czech journeyman Jiri Vesely in the quarterfinals in Dubai. That event marks the lone tournament Djokovic has played in this season.
Djokovic has stated that he is willing to miss more tournaments and remain unvaccinated.
He was won 20 Grand Slam titles, tied for second with Roger Federer. Rafael Nadal has a record 21 after winning the Australian Open.
On Wednesday, World No. 7 Andrey Rublev of Russia and No. 10 Jannik Sinner of Italy pulled out of Indian Wells due to injuries, according to tournament organizers.
–Field Level Media
