Novak Djokovic confirms he won't be able to play Indian Wells or Miami Open
Add two U.S. tournaments to the list of events Novak Djokovic will miss due to his unvaccinated status.
The world No. 2 confirmed via Twitter on Wednesday that he will not be able to play in the BNP Paribas Open, also known as Indian Wells, and the Miami Open due to CDC regulations restricting unvaccinated people from entering the U.S.
Djokovic had previously been considered the favorite to win at Indian Wells.
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
Under current CDC rules, non-U.S. citizens and non-U.S. immigrants are not allowed to enter the country if not fully vaccinated.
Djokovic has already missed this year's Australian Open due to COVID-19 vaccine restrictions — or, rather, a protracted legal battle — and he figures to miss plenty more tournaments as long as such restrictions are in place. That could include the French Open, as France currently has a vaccine requirement, and the US Open, as Wednesday's news shows.
Djokovic has said he is willing to miss Grand Slams over the situation, telling the BBC it's "a price I'm willing to pay."
So far this year, the only ATP-sanctioned event Djokovic has participated in was last month's Dubai Open, where the Serbian lost his No. 1 ranking after a shocking upset in the semifinals. Russia's Daniil Medvedev currently sits as the world No. 1 and the top seed at Indian Wells.
Novak Djokovic created unnecessary headache for Indian Wells
Not being able to play Indian Wells, widely considered the most prestigious non-Grand Slam tournament in tennis, is a big loss for Djokovic, but he won't be the only one paying the price for how this went down.
While Djokovic confirmed he would not be able to participate in the tournament, he waited until after the draw was made. Tournament organizers insisted on keeping Djokovic on the tournament entry list in hopes of an 11th-hour approval from the CDC, but that predictably did not happen.
Djokovic's withdrawal left the tournament with a burning hole in its second-seed spot, which was filled by No. 33 seed Grigor Dimitrov. Dimitrov's spot will be filled by a lucky loser in qualifying.
Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the BNP Paribas Open. As the next player in line to be seeded, Grigor Dimitrov will move into Djokovic's space in the draw, and a Lucky Loser from qualifying will move into Dimitrov’s space in the draw once qualifying is complete.#IndianWells
— BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) March 9, 2022
Had Djokovic withdrawn from the tournament before the draw was made, that would have allowed the draw's first alternate, Portugal's Joao Sousa, to directly enter the tournament. Instead, Sousa was forced to go through the qualification tournament.