Indian Wells, Calif., Novak Djokovic was added to the draw for this week’s ATP/WTA Indian Wells event on Tuesday, but organisers indicated it is uncertain if he would compete.
Officials tried to find out if Djokovic would be able to play in California or even enter the United States because he didn’t have a vaccine for the coronavirus, which can cause flu.
“Novak Djokovic is on the list of people who have signed up for the event, so he’s in the draw for today,” tournament officials said.
As of right now, we’re talking with his team. It hasn’t been decided whether or not he will play in the tournament after getting CDC approval to enter the country.
Djokovic is a five-time winner at Indian Wells, where organizers have said that confirmation of complete immunization would be needed for fan access to the California desert event grounds.
All non-US citizen travelers entering the United States are required to get vaccinated against COVID-19 under US government laws.
Djokovic was turned away from the Australian Open in January because he didn’t meet the country’s rules for unvaccinated visitors.
In the end, Djokovic’s visa was revoked, and after a failed legal fight, he left without playing.
While Djokovic’s health was still up in the air, the draw on Tuesday made it more likely that Daniil Medvedev and Rafael Nadal would play again in another big match.
Medvedev of Russia is poised to play Nadal in the semi-finals, their third meeting in less than two months.
Prior to that, top seed Medvedev could face a tough quarterfinal match against fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.
During the Australian Open final, Nadal beat Medvedev, and last month, Nadal beat Medvedev again to win the Mexican Open.
Medvedev has never won the Indian Wells competition and was ousted in the round of 16 last year.
No. 4 seedMeanwhile, Rafael Nadal, a three-time winner of the Californian event, will compete for the first time since 2019.
Between 2006 and 2013, the 35-year-old Spaniard advanced to the tournament’s semi-finals or better in eight consecutive outings.
Nadal, who enters the tournament in the second round on Saturday, might play Sebastian Korda in his debut match.
