"The less tennis he plays, the better it is for him to win Majors" - Novak Djokovic's Indian Wells withdrawal a good thing, feels Mats Wilander
Swedish tennis great Mats Wilander recently said that Novak Djokovic's withdrawal from the 2023 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells was only good for him.
Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the Indian Wells 1000 Masters tournament after his exemption request was rejected. The World No.1 is currently not allowed to enter the USA due to the country's existing vaccine mandate. This requirement will be lifted on May 11, when the pandemic's national public health emergency ends.
Following that, in an interview with Eurosport, Mats Wilander stated that given Djokovic's career record, it wouldn't matter much if he missed out on Indian Wells. He believes that the Serb would be "fresh" for the clay court season and the 2023 French Open.
"He can be fresh for the clay-court season, he can be more fresh for the French Open. He's already No. 1 in the world. He's already broken all the records when it comes to No. 1. So what difference does it make if he wins another Indian Wells or Miami?" Wilander said.
Wilander then stated that by doing so, the Serb will have "better preparation" for the clay season, increasing his chances of winning the French Open. He believes this will be his "last chance" to accomplish the Career Grand Slam.
"I think that on clay it'd be great for him. He's going to have a better preparation season. He needs to win the French Open for sure because I think this might be his last chance at the Calendar Grand Slam," Wilander said.
He added that he would be surprised if the 22-time Grand Slam champion fails to achieve the feat due to his form at the 2023 Australian Open.
"I really feel like that's in his wheelhouse. I was surprised that he didn't do it a couple of years ago and I'll be surprised again because watching him play at Australian Open, there is no backing off," Wilander said.
The seven-time Major champion went on to say that the "less tennis" Djokovic plays, the better for him.
"He's not getting worse, he's not getting older. In fact, he's just getting better. So to me, the less tennis he plays, the better it is for him to win majors," he said.
Will Novak Djokovic play in the Miami Open and US Open 2023 following his Indian Wells withdrawal?
It is still unclear whether Novak Djokovic will play in the Miami Open. He is still on the entry list for the ATP 1000 tournament, which begins on March 22, and he hasn't pulled out yet.
If the US regulations requiring international travelers to be vaccinated do expire on May 11, the Serb could return to the US Open. He could also take part in the Canadian Open and the Western & Southern Open in the summer.