TENNIS | INDIAN WELLS
Why won’t Djokovic play in Indian Wells 2023?
The tournament organisers announced that the Serbian tennis star will not be included in the draw for the competition in the United States.
If there was any chance that Novak Djokovic could play the first Masters 1,000 of the season in Indian Wells, on Monday morning it was suddenly killed off. The Serbian, number one ranked player in the world, will not play at the US tournament, as it confirmed itself through its social media account.
How covid is keeping Djokovic out of Indian Wells
“World No.1 Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the 2023 BNP Paribas Open,” read the official statement. “With his withdrawal, Nikoloz Basilashvili moves into the field.”
Djokovic is therefore left out of the tournament despite calls for him to be allowed to compete in both this one and the subsequent US meeting in Miami.
The reason why Djokovic will not be able to play in Indian Wells is simple, and one he must have expected given his prior obstacles around the globe. Restrictions remain in the United States for those who want to enter the country and who are not vaccinated against Covid-19. The US government announced that it would maintain this stance until May 11.
In this way, Djokovic will miss the Indian Wells Masters 1,000 for the fourth consecutive year after pulling out of the 2020 and 2021 editions, and being left out of the tournament in 2022 for the same reason as this year. He had been included in this year’s draw despite the fact that his likely attendance was somewhat complicated.