Novak Djokovic will miss the first two Masters 1000s of the season due to his decision not to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. The Serbian has not been able to enter the United States for this reason, so he will not play in Indian Wells or Miami, tournaments in which he gives up the possibility of adding up to 2,000 points, since he had not played in previous editions. Djokovic also risks missing the Cincinnati Masters 1000 and the US Open if the same regulations are maintained to access American soil and if he continues without getting vaccinated.
“It is a price that I am willing to pay,” said Novak Djokovic when he confessed that he would not be vaccinated against the coronavirus even if it would cost him to give up playing a large number of tournaments on the circuit. The Serbian is banned from entering the United States as he is not vaccinated and this makes him miss two of the most outstanding tournaments of the season, the Sunshine Double, or what is the same, the Masters 1000 in Indian Wells and Miami.
“The CDC confirmed to me today that there will be no change to the rules that are currently in place, which means that I will not be able to play in the United States,” Djokovic himself explained about the response given by the Control Center. and Disease Prevention, on which the Indian Wells tournament had left the decision on the possibility of the Serb to play the tournament in hands. There has been no exemption and the five-time California champion will not be able to play this edition for not being vaccinated against the coronavirus.
While I was automatically listed in the @BNPPARIBASOPEN and @MiamiOpen draw I knew it would be unlikely I’d be able to travel. The CDC has confirmed that regulations won’t be changing so I won’t be able to play in the US. Good luck to those playing in these great tournaments 👊
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) March 9, 2022
Djokovic thus renounces the possibility of adding 2,000 points between the two tournaments, since he had not participated in the previous editions played, so everything that was to advance in the tournament would mean points for him. His absence from the competition in recent weeks has caused him to be unseated in the ATP ranking by Daniil Medvedev and, although next week he will briefly regain the throne, the Russian has several tournaments ahead of him in which to widen the distance with his top competitor .
Up to 5,000 points
If the same rules are maintained to enter the United States next summer, Novak Djokovic could also miss the Cincinnati Masters 1000 (from August 14 to 21) and the US Open (from August 29 to September 11). In the case of the first, the Serbian did not participate in the last edition either, so he could aspire to the maximum points -1,000-, while in the American Grand Slam, if he cannot play, he will automatically lose the 1,200 points achieved in the edition of 2021, in which he played the final against Daniil Medvedev.
The latest CDC update on the entry of foreigners to the United States dates from March 3 and establishes as a mandatory requirement to have received the complete vaccination schedule. Yes, some exceptions are contemplated, but Djokovic did not comply with any of them, so he has not been able to travel.
How is the picture of Indian Wells?
The organization of the Indian Wells tournament had decided to keep the name of Novak Djokovic when making the draw for the main draw, pending the official pronouncement of the CDC on his possible presence or not in the United States. With the Serb out in the Californian tournament, his place in the draw will be occupied by Grigor Dimitrov, while a ‘lucky loser’ player (a tennis player who, having lost the previous phase of the tournament, has done better than the rest), will occupy the bulgarian site in the picture.
Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the BNP Paribas Open. As the next player in line to be seeded, Grigor Dimitrov will move into Djokovic’s space in the draw, and a Lucky Loser from qualifying will move into Dimitrov’s space in the draw once qualifying is complete.#IndianWells
— BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) March 9, 2022
