Novak Djokovic will not play at Indian Wells

Serbian tennis player, world number one, Novak Djokovic will not play the first Master 1000 tournament of the season in California due to restrictions in the United States for foreigners not vaccinated against Covid-19. His place will be taken by Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili.”Novak Djokovic, world number one, withdrew from the BNP Paribas Open 2023. After his departure, Nikoloz Basilashvili enters the main draw”, confirmed the Californian tournament on a social network, without going into details.Djokovic is currently unable to enter the United States due to a lack of vaccination against COVID-19. The United States Tennis Association (USTA) and US Open organizers have backed the 22-time Grand Slam winner to enter the country to compete in this month’s tournaments. in Indian Wells and Miami, despite his vaccinated status.The United States requires that foreigners entering the country be vaccinated against COVID-19, without the possibility of presenting a negative result for the coronavirus as an alternative. The official rule change is scheduled for May 11.Indian Wells’ main series kicks off this Wednesday, while the Miami Masters 1000 is scheduled for March 19. The US Open begins on August 28.Last year, Djokovic missed both the Australian Open after being kicked out of the ocean country and the US Open due to a lack of coronavirus vaccination.See also: Novak Djokovic broke Steffi Graf’s record for number one weeks.