Novak Djokovic was ranked in the men’s draw of the BNP Paribas Open on Monday, but it is still unknown if the second-ranked player will be permitted to enter the United States.
Djokovic has not been vaccinated against COVID-19. Visitors to the United States must be vaccinated in order to enter the country. Tournament officials stated that everyone attending Indian Wells must have been fully vaccinated in order to be allowed on the site.
Djokovic was listed on the entry list for Tuesday’s men’s draw, so the five-time tournament winner was included. He was granted a bye in the first round and will play Jordan Thompson or David Goffin in the second.
Officials from the tournament said that they are in contact with the team. However, it is not clear if he will be participating in the event.
Djokovic’s photograph was added to a “We Miss You” wall that lists players who have been absent from Indian Wells.
Last month, he lost in the quarterfinals at a tournament held in Dubai to Jiri Vesely.
After his visa was cancelled on the day of the Australian Open, Djokovic was deported to Australia. Djokovic claimed that he had a COVID-19 virus infection in the past, which meant he was exempted from rules that require all visitors to be fully vaccinated. Before being released, he was taken to an immigration facility.
Barbora Krejcikova, however, withdrew due to an elbow injury.
Krejcikova, second in the rankings, said that she has been suffering from the injury since Qatar’s tournament nearly two weeks ago. The pain got worse overnight, she said, just a day before Indian Wells.
Krejcikova stated in a statement that she will be focusing on receiving the best treatment and hoped to return to court as soon as possible.
The French Open begins May 22 and the Czech Republic’s 26-year-old is the current champion.
Ash Barty, the top-ranked player in the desert tournament, announced last week she would not play because she is still recovering from her win in January’s Australian Open.
Alize Cornet from France was drawn into Krejcikova’s place in the draw. A lucky loser from qualifying will replace Cornet.
