by PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the BNP Paribas Open, the tournament announced, marking the fourth straight year that he will not play at the iconic Indian Wells tennis tournament.
Djokovic’s withdrawal comes just over a week after the Serbian tennis star told reporters he had requested an exemption to circumvent a mandate in the United States that requires all foreign travelers flying into the country to be vaccinated against COVID-19 become. The mandate expires on May 11th.
“It’s out of my hands,” Djokovic told reporters on February 22. “I am waiting for an answer. All I know is that the process is still ongoing, but I’m glad I have the support of the tournament officials. I just hope the third party making the decision thinks the same way.”
The BNP Paribas Open takes place from March 6th to 19th at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. With Djokovic’s withdrawal, Nikoloz Basilashvili, who is ranked 113th, moves into the men’s draw.
Djokovic began his 378th week as No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP rankings on Monday to surpass WTA legend Steffi Graf’s record for most weeks at the top of the sport.
With his retirement, Djokovic, 35, is now the second top-flight men’s tennis player to retire from the best-attended international tennis tournament outside of the majors. Rafael Nadal withdrew from the event on February 28 due to a leg injury he sustained at the Australian Open, which Djokovic won to set him with Nadal for the most Grand Slam titles (22) in the history of the Australian Open connect men’s tennis.
The absence of Djokovic, the top-ranked player in men’s soccer, is certainly a blow to this year’s BNP Paribas Open. Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer, who retired from playing last year, are the biggest draws in the game for more than a decade.
Partly due to COVID-19 and the travel requirements, Djokovic has not played at Indian Wells or the Miami Open, dubbed the Sunshine Double, since 2019. Indian Wells and Miami are the two biggest American tournaments after the US Open.
On Friday, the United States Tennis Association and the US Open issued a joint statement supporting Djokovic being granted an exemption to enter the country and compete in its tournaments, beginning this week with Indian Wells .
“The USTA and US Open hope Novak’s application to enter the country will be successful and that fans will be able to see him back in action in Indian Wells and Miami,” the statement said.
Former world No. 2 Tommy Haas, Indian Wells’ tournament director, said publicly last month that it would be “a shame” if Djokovic couldn’t play at Indian Wells and Miami due to the restrictions.
According to the New York Times, Haas has lobbied several organizations to bring Djokovic into the country.
Late last month, legendary player John McEnroe said during a call with reporters that “it would be a damn shame” if Djokovic couldn’t come to the US
“Obviously this is a historic time in our sport as he and Rafael are both 22 years old,” McEnroe said. “It’s quite interesting if you ask me.”
McEnroe added, “I think it’s a complete joke that he doesn’t get to play.”
Djokovic has the highest win rate of his career (84.75%) at Indian Wells, having won the tournament in 2008, 2011, 2014, 2015 and 2016. Djokovic also set the tournament record with 20 straight wins from 2014 to 2017.
Djokovic last played at Indian Wells in 2019. The tournament was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, choosing not to play when it was rescheduled from March to October 2021. He was unable to enter the United States for the 2022 tournament due to the travel restriction.
Last year Djokovic said missing out on tournaments because of his vaccination stance “was the price I’m willing to pay”.
Andrew John reports on the BNP Paribas Open for The Desert Sun and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at [email protected].
