Novak Djokovic on Indian Wells "We Miss You" wall despite still being on the entry list for the Masters 1000 event
World No. 2 Novak Djokovic is yet to officially announce his withdrawal from the Indian Wells Masters, but his picture is already on the tournament's "We Miss You" wall.
Serena Williams, Roger Federer and Juan Martin del Potro have also made it to the wall along with Ashleigh Barty, who recently announced her withdrawal from the WTA 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami.
Djokovic is still officially entered, but he’s already on the Indian Wells “We Miss You” wall. 🤷 https://t.co/79W6hf2AP5
The BNP Paribas Open requires players to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and Novak Djokovic has not received the jab. The Serb confirmed last month that he was unable to enter the United States but said he hoped things might change.
“As of today, no, I can’t go, I can’t enter the United States," Djokovic said. "As of today, I’m not able to play. But let’s see what happens. I mean, maybe things change in the next few weeks."
The Serb is on the entry list for the Miami Masters as well, but it's almost certain he'll miss out given his unwillingness to be vaccinated.
Earlier this year, Djokovic was unable to compete at the Australian Open due to the cancelation of his visa. Australia's Immigration Minister felt that the Serb's presence could have led to an increase in anti-vaccine sentiment in the country.
Djokovic, however, was allowed to compete at the Dubai Tennis Championships. The top seed won his first-round match against Lorenzo Musetti and then defeated Karen Khachanov in straight sets to reach the quarterfinals. However, he was beaten 6-4, 7-6(4) in the quarterfinals by eventual runner-up Jiri Vesely.
Novak Djokovic could compete at Roland Garros
It's not all bad news for Novak Djokovic. The French government recently announced that it will lift its vaccine pass, meaning the Serb may be eligible to compete at this year's French Open.
Novak Djokovic may be able to defend his French Open title after the country announced they will relax their vaccine passport rules
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Djokovic won Roland Garros last year by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in five sets in the final. The Serb also defeated 13-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal in the semifinals.
The World No. 2 will most likely be able to compete at the Monte Carlo Masters as well, but his participation in other claycourt tournaments building up to Roland Garros is still uncertain.
Djokovic recently lost the No. 1 ranking to Daniil Medvedev and fell behind in the Slam race against Nadal, both of which he'll be eager to remedy.