Nothing to do, not even the appeals of the 'US Tennis Association', or the US federated tennis, and of the body that oversees the US Open were useful. Novak Djokovic, reconfirmed today as number 1 in the world rankings, has not obtained a special exemption and therefore, according to what the organizers have announced, will not be able to take part in the Masters 1000 in Indian Wells, California, due to his status as not vaccinated for Covid 19.
This tournament, a combined ATP-WTA, begins on Wednesday at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden and will continue until Sunday 19 March. All without 'Djoko', who in recent days had repeatedly expressed the desire to be there. But in the US the law does not make discounts, and until at least next May 11th those who come from abroad and have not had the vaccine for the coronavirus cannot enter American territory. Djokovic had asked for a special permit but the authorities denied it and now his presence at the Miami tournament is also strongly in doubt, possible only if the authorities have a second thought and make an exception to allow the Serbian champion to play at least in Florida .
But it is an eventuality that appears to be extremely difficult to implement. Back from a streak of 20 consecutive successes, Djokovic had to bow to Daniil Medvedev last Friday in the semifinals of the Dubai tournament. Now, in Indian Wells, with the exclusion of the n.1, the 31-year-old Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili enters the main draw. But not even this painful renunciation that has been imposed on him will change Djokovic's mind, who has always expressed strongly contrary opinions on the Covid vaccine to the point of becoming a darling of the no vax people.
After all, there is freedom of choice, at least in theory, and he (who, moreover, had the coronavirus) put it into practice, even being 'deported', last year, by the Australian government which did not recognize any validity to the medical exemption presented to be able to enter the country and play the AO Open. It was the time when all colors were said against Djoko, with phrases like "sporting talent, even if it is very great, does not make it scientifically credible" or "having made Djokovic the totemic idol of the world no vax demonstrates the inadequacy and the ignorance of these people".
Waiting to see if, for someone, they will come back up-to-date, Djokovic will miss Indian Wells and, 99%, Miami too and for him there is the risk of losing the leadership in the ATP ranking, to the benefit of Carlos Alcaraz (who, however, is not in perfect physical condition) if he won both in California and in Miami, or of Stefanos Tsitsipas for whom, in the same tournaments, a title and a final would be enough.
