World’s high male tennis participant had requested for particular permission to enter given US ban on unvaccinated foreigners.
Novak Djokovic has formally withdrawn from the draw for the Indian Wells event, in keeping with organisers, in a sign that the world primary’s utility for a COVID-19 vaccine waiver to enter the US may need failed.
The Serbian, some of the high-profile athletes unvaccinated in opposition to the virus, utilized to the US authorities final month for particular permission to play in ATP Masters occasions at Indian Wells and Miami.
“World no. 1 Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the 2023 BNP Paribas Open. Along with his withdrawal, Basil Nikolozashvili strikes into the sector,” organizers mentioned in an announcement late on Sunday.
The US at present bars unvaccinated foreigners from entry into the nation, a coverage that’s anticipated to be lifted when the federal government ends its COVID-19 emergency declarations on Might 11.
Djokovic has not competed on the back-to-back ATP Masters occasions in Indian Wells and Miami, two of the largest tournaments on the ATP calendar and referred to as the “Sunshine Double”, since 2019.
Nobody from Djokovic’s staff was instantly out there to touch upon the withdrawal.
Final Friday, Florida Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio wrote a letter to US President Joe Biden urging him to grant the waiver request.
Indian Wells event director Tommy Haas, the US Tennis Affiliation and the US Open have been amongst these additionally hoping the 22-time Grand Slam champion can be allowed to enter.
He would have been a robust favourite to win his sixth Indian Wells title when the event kicks off within the Southern California desert on Wednesday.
Djokovic, who was deported from final 12 months’s Australian Open as a result of he was unvaccinated and was not allowed into the US for the 2022 version of the US Open, has mentioned he would quite skip Grand Slams than have a COVID-19 shot.
He was allowed to compete on this 12 months’s Australian Open, which he gained.
