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Novak Djokovic Commits to Play at Indian Wells for First Time Since 2019

The world No. 1 will look to secure his sixth title at the BNP Paribas Open in Southern California.

Madison Williams

Novak Djokovic Commits to Play at Indian Wells for First Time Since 2019
Novak Djokovic Commits to Play at Indian Wells for First Time Since 2019 /

Novak Djokovic is set to return to the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., for the first time since 2019.

Djokovic wasn’t allowed to play at Indian Wells or Miami last year, as he was not vaccinated against COVID-19. The United States required non-U.S. citizen travelers to be vaccinated through last spring.

The 36-year-old has missed myriad tournaments since 2020 due to his vaccination status. He famously missed the 2022 Australian Open and the U.S. Open because he didn’t get vaccinated.

This year’s BNP Paribas Open begins March 6. Djokovic has won the Indian Wells tournament five times, most recently in 2016. He’s tied with Roger Federer for the most championships in Indian Wells tournament history.

World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz is the reigning Indian Wells champion and returns to defend his title.

Djokovic is coming off an Australian Open semifinal loss to eventual champion Jannik Sinner. Last season, Djokovic broke the record for most career Grand Slam titles by a men’s player by winning his 24th at the U.S. Open.

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Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.

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