New soap opera in sight with Novak Djokovic in the United States? The inclusion of the name of the Serbian, number two in the ATP , in the draw for the Indian Wells draw has been the surprise of the day, since it is likely that he will not be able to enter American soil as he is not vaccinated. The Indian Wells Masters 1000 organization is in contact with Djokovic and his team, awaiting a response from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention about his authorization to enter the United States.
Will Novak Djokovic be at the Indian Wells Masters 1000? At the moment, his name appears in the men’s final table of the Californian tournament. This has been decided by the organizers of the tournament, who have chosen to keep the Serb’s name as he is on the list of pre-registered players, despite the fact that his presence is still quite doubtful due to his decision not to get vaccinated, a requirement that is required for enter the United States.
” Novak Djokovic is on the list of previous entries in the tournament, and that is why he is in the draw for this Tuesday,” they clarified through a note from the organization of Indian Wells , the first Masters 1000 of the season. “We are in talks with his team; however, it has not been established whether you will be able to participate in the event through an approval from the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) to access the country,” they added, hoping to shed more light on the matter. .
Novak Djokovic is on the tournament entry list, and therefore is placed into the draw today. We are currently in communication with his team; however, it has not been determined if he will participate in the event by getting CDC approval to enter the country.#IndianWells
— BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) March 8, 2022
On the website of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in the list of requirements to enter the United States, updated on March 3, the need to be vaccinated appears. Full vaccination against COVID-19 is a “mandatory requirement for all passengers who are not US citizens or immigrants and arrive from abroad to the United States by plane,” they report.
However, some exemptions are contemplated and one of them could be Novak Djokovic to be able to play the Masters 1000 in Indian Wells. The CDC contemplates an exemption from such vaccination for “persons whose admission is considered to be in the national interest , as determined by the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Transportation, or the Secretary of Homeland Security (or their designees).” In addition, in case of traveling by plane and taking advantage of one of these exceptions, it is necessary to sign “an affidavit stating that you are exempt from the requirement to present proof of complete vaccination against COVID-19”.
In these cases, a viral detection test for COVID-19 and even a quarantine are also requested, although Djokovic would be exempt from both by having a certificate stating that he passed the coronavirus in the last 90 days – he declared a positive in a PCR test on December 16.
Uncertainty with the presence of Djokovic
From the beginning, the presence of Novak Djokovic in Indian Wells has been unknown despite the fact that the Serb appeared on the list of players signed up to play the first Masters 1000 of the season . The Californian tournament chose to leave the Serbian in the background and resort to tennis players such as Rafa Nadal, Daniil Medvedev or Paula Badosa, current defender of the tournament in the women’s draw.
In the press release for the presentation of the Masters 1000 in Indian Wells, which referred to the players who would participate in the tournament, there was only a brief mention of Novak Djokovic, in addition to emphasizing the need to be vaccinated, not only to enter in the United States but also as a requirement to jump on the track.
Djokovic appears inscribed in the Indian Wells draw, while in the tournament facilities he is considered one of the absentees. Some of the players who will not be able to participate in this edition appear on one of the walls, such as Ashleigh Barty , number one in the WTA. Novak Djokovic himself also has his space on said wall under the motto “We miss you” (We miss you), without it having been removed for now.
At the moment, Novak Djokovic has not made a public statement about whether he will try to travel to the United States. He remains in contact with Indian Wells organizers, awaiting a response from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Serbian, given his refusal to be vaccinated, has only been able to play one tournament to date this season, in Dubai, where he was surprised by the ATP number 123 in his third match and which made him give up the number one to Daniil Medvedev .
