World number two men’s tennis player Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from Indian Wells and Miami Open, the Serbian confirmed on Wednesday. The unvaccinated Serbian player was listed in the draw of the Masters 1000 tournament in the Californian desert. As the next player in line to be seeded, Grigor Dimitrov will move into Djokovic’s space in the draw, and a Lucky Loser from qualifying will move into Dimitrov’s space in the draw once Indian Wells qualifying is complete.
“While I was automatically listed in the @BNPPARIBASOPEN and @MiamiOpen draw I knew it would be unlikely I’d be able to travel. The CDC has confirmed that regulations won’t be changing so I won’t be able to play in the US. Good luck to those playing in these great tournaments,” Novak Djokovic tweeted.
Second seed Novak Djokovic was earlier drawn to face 2017 ATP Finals runner-up David Goffin or Australian Jordan Thompson in the second round of Indian Wells. The Serbian began his season in Dubai, where he lost in the quarter-finals against Czech lefty Jiri Vesely.