Indian Wells organisers have said that world No 2 Novak Djokovic has been placed in the tournament’s draw but it was unclear if the Serbian would be permitted to enter the United States. The 20-time grand slam winner has refused to obtain a Covid-19 vaccine and previously said he was prepared to miss tournaments as a consequence. “Novak Djokovic is on the tournament entry list, and therefore is placed into the draw today. We are currently in communication with his team,” Indian Wells organisers wrote on Twitter. “However, it has not been determined if he will participate in the event by getting CDC (US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention) approval to enter the country.” Ready to rumble 👊 Men's singles draw ➡️ https://t.co/zYAbpj69zy #IndianWells pic.twitter.com/zHNI1m7fo0 — BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) March 9, 2022 The Indian Wells men’s draw on Wednesday (Hong Kong time) showed he had a first-round bye. As of March 3, the CDC website said non-US citizens who were not immigrants must show proof of vaccination against the coronavirus in order to travel by air to the United States. Djokovic was unable to compete at the Australian Open after immigration authorities detained him on January 6, prompting a legal rollercoaster ride over the country’s Covid-19 entry rules that led to the cancellation of his visa later that month. The California tournament, often referred to as tennis’ “fifth major,” is expected to welcome a full house after it was cancelled in 2020 and moved to October last year because of the pandemic. The women’s first round begins on Wednesday while the men’s starts the following day. With former world No 1 Roger Federer out of the tournament as he recovers from knee surgery and Djokovic previously presumed absent, Spaniard Rafael Nadal is widely favoured to pick up his fourth Indian Wells title. Djokovic most recently competed in Dubai in February, where Czech Jiri Vesely stunned him in the quarter-finals. The loss meant he lost his world No 1 ranking to Russian Daniil Medvedev, who claimed his maiden major title in Flushing Meadows in September and is the top seed at Indian Wells.
