World number one Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the Indian Wells Masters event scheduled to begin this week. The Serbian tennis player, who has won 22 Grand Slam titles, has been unable to enter the United States as he is not vaccinated against Covid-19.
Djokovic had applied for special permission to enter the US, but he was denied due to the US government’s Covid-19 vaccination requirements for international visitors.
The US government requires all international visitors to be vaccinated against Covid-19, and proof of vaccination is mandatory until at least April 10th. Djokovic’s unvaccinated status prevented him from being allowed to enter the US for the Indian Wells Masters.
This is not the first time that Djokovic’s vaccination status has affected his participation in a major tennis tournament. He also missed last year’s US Open due to his vaccination status, and the situation seems to have repeated itself with his absence from the Indian Wells Masters event this year.
