Tennis pro Novak Djokovic will not compete at the Indian Wells Open in California for a third consecutive year.
“World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the 2023 BNP Paribas Open. With his withdrawal, Nikoloz Basilashvili moves into the field,” organizers confirmed late on March 5.
The statement did not provide further details as to why the 22-time Grand Slam champion and world No. 1 decided to formally withdraw from the tournament, also known as the BNP Paribas Open, and Djokovic has not yet publicly commented on the move.
However, the decision comes shortly after the Serbian native submitted an application to the U.S. government asking for special permission to enter the country and compete in back-to-back ATP Masters events at Indian Wells and Miami—two of the biggest tournaments on the tennis calender—amid a ban on entry for unvaccinated foreigners….