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Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from Indian Wells and the Miami Open – the primary two Masters Collection occasions of the 12 months – due to US coronavirus guidelines.
Rules require any non-US citizen to have a Covid vaccination earlier than getting into the nation.
Serb Djokovic, 34, informed the BBC final month that he had not been vaccinated.
The 20-time Grand Slam winner was included within the draw for each occasions, however has since posted on Twitter that he knew it was “unlikely” he may journey.
He’s more likely to make his return to the tour on the Monte Carlo Masters in April.
The Indian Wells draw shall be much less balanced following the late withdrawal of Djokovic, who was seeded second.
As the subsequent participant in line to be seeded exterior the event’s high 32, final 12 months’s semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov will transfer into Djokovic’s area within the draw. A fortunate loser from qualifying will fill the Bulgarian’s spot sooner or later.
Djokovic missed the Australian Open in January, being deported from the nation after its authorities cancelled his visa in a row over his vaccine standing.
In an interview with the BBC final month, he stated that he’s ready to overlook different huge occasions in future.
“The rules of determination making on my physique are extra essential than any title or the rest,” he stated.
“I am attempting to be in tune with my physique as a lot as I probably can.”
By lacking the Australian Open, Djokovic was overtaken within the record of total main titles by eventual winner Rafael Nadal, who secured a document twenty first Grand Slam.
Djokovic’s first event in 2022 got here in Dubai in February, the place he was crushed by Czech Jiri Vesely within the quarter-finals.
The defeat meant he conceded his world primary rating to Russian Daniil Medvedev, who claimed his first main title on the US Open in September and is the highest seed at Indian Wells.
Evaluation
Russell Fuller, tennis correspondent
Djokovic has only a few rating factors to defend earlier than his seemingly subsequent look in Monte Carlo.
Actually, he shall be world primary once more in a fortnight if Daniil Medvedev fails to achieve the quarter-finals right here in Indian Wells.
However despite the fact that his rating won’t be adversely affected, Djokovic is passing up the chance to win two of the most important titles exterior of the Grand Slams.
From a public relations perspective, it might have been so a lot better to have withdrawn 24 hours earlier.
There are clearly much more essential issues happening on the planet proper now, however pulling out after the draw has repercussions for different gamers in addition to the event itself.
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