Djokovic to miss Indian Wells and Miami Open; to be allowed for US Open
ATP
Shortly after becoming the World No. 1 player again, Novak Djokovic learned very bad news about his chances of participation in the first two ATP Masters 1000 events of the season.
Last year, the 35-year-old was forced to miss the Indian Wells Open, the Miami Open, and the US Open. As a result, he missed out on a large portion of points that he could have added, as well as a chance to add another Masters and Grand Slam titles to his collection.
After winning the 2023 Australian Open, the Serbian spoke about his upcoming schedule, and while he doesn't have many events to look forward to in the coming months, he certainly wants to compete in the United States.
"I hope I can play in Indian Wells. That is my wish. It is still not allowed but maybe in the next few weeks I will get better news."
Only a few hours after showing his desire to play in Indian Wells, Djokovic learned that it might not become a reality. On Monday, President Joe Biden issued a new update about the COVID-19 restrictions.
The President announced that they would be removed on May 11th, 2023. That means Djokovic will miss the Indian Wells Open and the Miami Open. The tournament in Indian Wells starts on March 6th, with the second leg of the Sunshine Double in Miami continuing on March 20th.
While missing the Sunshine Double will be disappointing for the Serbian player, the good news for him is that he will be allowed to compete at the 2023 US Open a tournament which he won three times in his career.
With the newest update of the restrictions, it's improbable that something will change before the first two Masters events begin, so most probably, they will be held without the World No. 1 player again.
