The long wait is over for Novak Djokovic, who was recently confirmed as the first entrant into the field of the first ATP Masters 1000 tournament of 2024.
Djokovic will play at the Indian Wells Masters for the first time since 2019. He had initially given the strongest hint yet that he would feature in the desert, and now the tournament has broken the news on social media that the five-time champion will return.
In 2020, the tournament was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, and Djokovic withdrew in 2021 due to scheduling complications. However, in the past two editions, Djokovic was unable to travel to the United States because he was unvaccinated against COVID-19.
The travel restrictions were in place last spring, and Djokovic tried to get a Covid-19 vaccine waiver, but that exemption request was rejected. However, the US ended its COVID-19 emergency declaration last May, meaning foreign travelers like Djokovic, who had not been vaccinated, were allowed to enter the country.
Djokovic made his emotional return at the Cincinnati Masters in August last season and won the tournament after outlasting Carlos Alcaraz in the longest best-of-three-set final in ATP history. The 36-year-old then completed a perfect American summer by winning his 24th Grand Slam at the US Open.
For many years in his career, the Indian Wells Masters has been Djokovic's happy hunting ground, and it will be intriguing to see whether that dominance will continue five years after his last appearance at the tournament.
The last time he won in Indian Wells was in 2016, when he completed a three-peat. He has won it five times overall and is tied with Roger Federer for the most titles.
Djokovic is the favorite to hold onto the No. 1 ranking until the French Open with confirmation that he will play the Sunshine Swing, as he defends the least amount of points between him and his close rivals.
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