Novak Djokovic is the No. 2 seed at Indian Wells but it remained unclear on Wednesday if he will be allowed to compete due to his unvaccinated status.
The men’s portion of the BNP Paribas Open begins Thursday and Djokovic is listed on the draw despite current U.S. policy stating that non-citizens must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and show proof of a negative test to enter the country.
“Novak Djokovic is on the tournament entry list, and therefore is placed into the draw,” the tournament said in a statement earlier this week. “We are currently in communication with his team; however, it has not been determined if he will participate in the event by getting CDC approval to enter the country. We will provide updates in the future as we learn more.”
Djokovic received a first-round bye so he wouldn’t play until Saturday at the earliest.
The Serbian star was embroiled in a huge dispute with Australia when he tried to play in the Australian Open in January.
After an initial ruling to void his visa due to his unvaccinated status, Djokovic appealed and eventually lost in front of a panel of three judges before being deported.
The 34-year-old Djokovic was World No. 1 at the time but has since dropped behind Daniil Medvedev after being upset by Czech journeyman Jiri Vesely in the quarterfinals in Dubai. That event marks the lone tournament Djokovic has played in this season.
Djokovic has stated that he is willing to miss more tournaments and remain unvaccinated.
He was won 20 Grand Slam titles, tied for second with Roger Federer. Rafael Nadal has a record 21 after winning the Australian Open.
–Field Level Media