Novak Djokovic confirms absence in the Middle East, next tournament on schedule revealed as the 2024 Indian Wells Masters

The Nole had been playing at the 2024 Australian Open in 'reported' sickness and as a result will remain out of action for a month.

Novak Djokovic confirms absence in the Middle East, next tournament on schedule revealed as the 2024 Indian Wells Masters

Novak Djokovic (Credits: Tennis World)

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has officially confirmed his absence from the Middle East leg of the ATP Tour. Nole last featured at the 2024 Australian Open where he lost his title defense in the semi-finals.

He was defeated by Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals in four sets. This was the Serb’s first defeat at Melbourne Park since his 2018 exit in the fourth round. Multiple reports later surfaced claiming Djokovic had played the match against Sinner in sickness and was down with flu and fever.

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Shortly afterward, the 24-time Grand Slam title winner was confirmed to be missing the upcoming 2024 Dubai Championships. Nole had been a regular at the event and his absence was concerning for his fans. However, given the reports about his poor health, it was a good decision to recover well.

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While many awaited an official confirmation, it is finally here. The Serb’s website has updated his calendar for the 2024 season. It clearly shows no event for the month of February.

Nole will be absent for a month and return straight away at the 2024 Indian Wells Masters, the first leg of the Sunshine Double.

Novak Djokovic will return to the Sunshine Double for the first time since 2019

It has been a long wait for Djokovic and his fans to see him play in the Californian desert and the Miami coast. Both events were not held in 2020 due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. In 2021, Nole opted to miss the events under heavy restrictions and chose to spend time with his family instead.

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic (L) with the Indian Wells Masters trophy and (R) with the Miami Masters trophy (Credits: CBC, Sky Sports)

Having played and finished runner-up at the 2021 US Open, many expected the Serb to play in the 2022 edition. But with the USA updating their travel policies, Djokovic was not allowed to enter the country. It was due to his personal decision to remain unvaccinated against the Covid-19 virus.

As a result, he was denied to play in 2022. For the 2023 season, the rules were relaxed only after May. This again kept the Serb out of the two premier competitions of the Tour. But finally, after four years of absence, the 40-time ATP Masters winner will be back at the two competitions.

Nole is a five-time champion in Indian Wells, the joint-most with Roger Federer. In Miami, he is a six-time winner tied with Andre Agassi. With a shot at taking the sole ownership of the records this year, a well-rested Djokovic will be the heavy favorite at both the ATP-1000 events.

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