‘Change in Rules?’ Novak Djokovic STILL on the Indian Wells entry list
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Novak Djokovic
World No. 2 Novak Djokovic was informed well in advance that the Serbian will not be allowed to enter United States borders if he remains unvaccinated against Covid-19. Djokovic had no choice but to accept the decision as he remains adamant that until he is active on the Tour, he won’t take the vaccine and will consider it only after he has retired as a Pro.
With this, it was clear that Novak will not feature in the first two Masters events of the 2022 season on the ATP Tour, the 2022 Indian Wells Masters followed by the 2022 Miami Masters with the two tournaments booking out the entire month of March in the ATP Calendar. Novak had addressed this during his stint at the 2022 Dubai Championships as well that he won’t be allowed.
However, as the draw ceremony of the 2022 Indian Wells is less than a day away, the Serbian is yet not removed from the entry list that was released months ago. Novak is still on the list despite being informed of the vaccination policy that he is aware and this has risen doubts if the player is indeed allowed to play.
As per a recent tweet of Times Sport’s correspondent Stuart Fraser, despite the qualifying draw made for the tournament, Novak continues to remain on the player’s list. His doubts further increased after a tournament spokesperson refused to comment whether Novak has arrived for the tournament or not.
The similarity between Indian Wells and the Australian Open for Novak Djokovic
The entire episode in Australia, where Novak was first denied the visa, then granted it after he won the court appeal and then Immigration Minister Alex Hawke exercising his power to cancel the visa again and a defeat in the second appeal which saw him get deported and banned for 3 years from entering the country, is now well known.
Novak was mere hours away from opening his title defence at the 2022 Australian Open but the court ruled against him and he had to leave. The draw ceremony was already held and Novak’s name was present throughout only to be replaced by a lucky loser after his expulsion was confirmed.
The situation in Indian Wells might not be any different. Going with the procedure, the tournament might wait till the final moment as per the procedure to eventually remove his name. But this is again unjust for a player who can move into the main-draw directly if Novak is removed from the tournament’s entry list while also opening up an opportunity for a qualifier.
The silence of the tournament officials on the issue is uncalled for and with the rules and regulations clear for all parties involved, a final decision should have been done by now to clear the circumstances for not only Novak and his fans but also for the players in line to participate at the tournament.
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Sarthak Shitole
(3462 Articles Published)