Novak Djokovic's uncle confirms his participation in 2022 Belgrade Open
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has been out of competitive action since the ATP Finals in Turin last season. After arriving in Melbourne to defend his Australian Open title, Djokovic was removed from the draw at the last minute as his visa was cancelled.
Djokovic's participation in tournaments across the world still remains in doubt due to his unvaccinated status. But there is at least one event where his participation is certain. Djokovic's uncle Goran recently revealed to the Serbian outlet Telegraf that the 34-year-old intends to play the ATP 250 tournament in Belgrade this year.
"Unlike the problems in Australia, everything should be fine here," Goran said. "Novak confirmed that he will certainly participate, and we still have a lot of attractive things, so we expect a strong tournament again."
Novak Djokovic enjoys a rich history in the Serbian capital, having made five competitive appearances there previously. Last year Belgrade held two ATP 250 tournaments, both of which featured Djokovic in the draw.
The Serb lost out to Aslan Karastev in the semifinals of the first one, before going on to beat Alex Molcan for the title in the second.
In his three other Belgrade appearances prior to 2021, Djokovic won the title twice - in 2009 (d. Lukasz Kubot) and 2011 (d. Feliciano Lopez). In the 2010 edition, however, he retired due to injury in the quarterfinals (against Filip Krajinovic).
Djokovic boasts an impressive 14-2 win-loss record at the venue.
Novak Djokovic on the entry list for Indian Wells
Novak Djokovic is featured on the entry list for the Indian Wells Masters, which will be held next month. But the tournament is expected to mandate proof of vaccination for all players, so the World No. 1 could possibly be denied entry.
Djokovic has won the tournament in the Californian desert a record (jointly with Roger Federer) five times in the Open Era. But his last title dates back 2016, where he beat Milos Raonic in the final.
Since then, the Serb has failed to advance to the quarterfinals of the event in three participations. He lost to Nick Kyrgios in the Round of 16 in 2017, to Taro Daniel in the Round of 64 in 2018, and to Philipp Kohlschreiber in the Round of 32 in 2019.
That said, if Djokovic gets to play this year, he will definitely start as one of the favorites for the title. The tournament is scheduled to get underway on 8 March.