Novak Djokovic withdraws from BNP Paribas Open
World No. 2 Novak Djokovic will not be in Indian Wells for this year's BNP Paribas Open. The tennis star has withdrawn from the tournament.
During the men's draw on Tuesday, Djokovic drew the No. 2 seed. However, tournament officials said despite him being listed on the player list, they were still not sure if he would be able to participate.
Djokovic himself confirmed that he won't be able to play in the United States due to the CDC not updating its travel rules for unvaccinated non-citizens.
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
As the next player in line to be seeded, former World No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria will move into Djokovic's space in the draw. In addition, a "Lucky Loser" from qualifying will move into Dmitrov’s space in the draw once qualifying is complete.
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Djokovic caused a storm of controversy back in January during the Australian Open due to him not being vaccinated against COVID-19. The issue led to multiple court appearances and ended with him being deported from Australia.
Read More About Djokovic's Australian Open Saga Here
Djokovic stated in recent interviews that he is willing to skip the French Open and Wimbledon because of his vaccination stance.
“I understand that not being vaccinated today I’m unable to travel to most of the tournaments at the moment,” Djokovic told BBC News.
Djokovic has enjoyed great success in Indian Wells over the years winning the tournament five times, including a three-peat from 2014 to 2016. He's tied with Federer for the most wins.
Djokovic has not played in the BNP Paribas Open since 2019 and last won it in 2016.
This year's BNP Paribas Open still features some of the best tennis stars in the world, including Nadal, Naomi Osaka, World No. Daniil Medvedev, etc.
