When will Novak Djokovic play again post his shocking loss in Dubai?
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Novak Djokovic
After a lengthy time off-court, Novak Djokovic finally kicked off his 2022 season at the Dubai Tennis Championships. The Serb missed the entire Australian hardcourt swing after he failed to satisfy vaccine compliances to enter the country.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion faced a tough ordeal Down Under because of his decision to not get a Covid jab. Getting his visa canceled and deported from Australia was arguably one of the lowest points of his career. To makes matter worse, his arch-rival Rafael Nadal lifted the title at the Australian Open to become the first male player to win 21 Grand Slams ahead of the Serbian.
Djokovic returned to a warm welcome in Dubai and was cheered upon by his fans. Upon his return and he showed no signs of rustiness because of less match practice, in the early rounds in Dubai. The top seed notched up straight-set victories over Italian youngster Lorenzo Musetti and Karen Khachanov in the first two rounds. He entered into the quarter-final as the overwhelming favorite against Czech qualifier Jiri Vesely but was knocked out 4-6, 6-7. Following his defeat, Djokovic’s reign at the top of the standing ended and he had to cede his World No.1 ranking which he held for a staggering 361 weeks to Daniil Medvedev.
Novak Djokovic’s next tournament
After a disappointing campaign in Dubai, Djokovic will be raring to go and regain his dominance on tour. But he has stuck to his stern stance of not getting vaccinated which will limit his options of competing at tournaments.
The outgoing World No.1 was initially scheduled to play at the Indian Wells (March 8-20), the first Masters 1000 tournament of the year. The BNP Paribas Open directors have already announced that only vaccinated players will be allowed to compete and Djokovic himself admitted he can’t enter the United States under prevailing conditions. With uncertainties still looming over his participation, the Serbian is likely to miss the Miami Open (March 21-April 3rd) as well, the next tournament after the Indian Wells.
The Serbian might be allowed to play at the Monte Carlo Masters in April, considering he is a resident of Monaco. The French government currently allowed only vaccinated players at all the sporting events in the country, but depending on the situation in April, he might be allowed to play at Monte-Carlo which will be the curtain-raiser for the clay-court swing. Djokovic is almost guaranteed to play at the Serbia Open in Belgrade which begins on April 18. His brother Djordje is the tournament director and the event will take place at the Novak Tennis center, which is owned by Djokovic himself.
As things stand he is likely to miss the Madrid Open and the Rome Masters which take place in May. France has strict Covid regulations in place at the moment and the French authorities have already hinted that Djokovic will not be granted an exception, which means he might not be allowed to defend his title at the Roland Garros.
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T Rushitha
(360 Articles Published)