Indian Wells registers Djokovic even though he cannot enter the United States | sports

The Djokovic case, that is, the never-ending case, offered a new twist this morning with the unexpected inclusion of the Serb in the main draw of the Indian Wells Masters 1000. Despite not being vaccinated against covid and, therefore, not being within the sanitary parameters required to be able to access the United States, the name of the Serbian (34 years old) appeared in the draw held this Wednesday and the box of speculation, further fueled by the precision made by the organizers.

“Novak Djokovic is on the list of participants and is therefore part of today’s draw. We are currently in communication with his team; however, it has not been determined if he will be able to play the tournament with CDC approval. [los Centros para el Control y Prevención de Enfermedades] to access the country. We will provide more information as soon as we know something more, ”they transmitted from Indian Wells, sowing doubt.

Technically, Djokovic, who in January was arrested and deported in Australia for posing a “threat to public health” -in addition to having committed irregularities in the access form that he had to present at customs-, cannot travel to the United States either given the current regulations, clear and concise, established at the beginning of November and ratified at the beginning of December.

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) order, effective November 8, 2021, requires all nonimmigrant and noncitizen air travelers traveling to the United States to be fully vaccinated. and that they present proof of their vaccination status before boarding a plane bound for the United States”, specifies the code of the office of consular affairs.

Nadal’s inertia

In any case, Djokovic is studying the possibility that the CDC grant him some type of medical exemption as it did in Melbourne, where the organizers of the Australian Open (not the State, finally) validated his entry for having contracted the coronavirus (for second time) a month earlier, on December 16. At the moment, the Balkan has neither traveled nor, logically, has been able to complete any training at the Indian Wells facilities.

Right now, Djokovic – against Jordan Thompson or David Goffin in the premiere, on the off chance he can compete – holds the record in Masters 1000 territory, the tournament’s second tier behind the Grand Slams. He has raised 37, a figure to which Rafael Nadal aspires. The 35-year-old Spaniard arrives thrown into the Californian desert, where he has been crowned three times (2007, 2009 and 2013) and intends to prolong his fabulous start to the season: 15 games, 15 wins and three trophies in Melbourne, the Australian Open and Acapulco.

According to the draw, names such as Sebastian Korda for the debut (Saturday or Sunday), Daniel Evans, Denis Shapovalov, Casper Ruud, Djokovic himself (if he played, or Alexander Zverev) and Daniil Medvedev in a hypothetical ending. In any case, the prolegomenon raises a dust cloud again with the trail of Nole, who reappeared two weeks ago in Dubai, where he had no problem crossing the border and fell in the second round, against Jiry Vesely.

Badosa, defender of the title

That defeat against the Czech (123rd in the world) cost him number one, in possession today of Medvedev. If the one from Belgrade is finally excluded due to a government refusal before the organization announces the order of play, the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov – first unseeded on the list – would occupy his place in the draw; if Djokovic’s name disappears after the initial schedule is known, the beneficiary would be a lucky loser (player dismounted in the qualifying phase).

Apart from the possible mess in sight, one of the incentives will be Carlos Alcaraz again, eliminated last year in the first round and who has just made his debut in the Davis Cup with a note. The 18-year-old from Murcia has an appointment with the winner of the duel between a player from the qualifying phase and Marton Fucsovics or Mackenzie McDonald.

The spotlights, in any case, illuminate Paula Badosa, champion in the edition held last year in October – due to the disruption of the calendar, as a result of the pandemic – and who has established herself among the strongest on the circuit. The 24-year-old Catalan ranks seventh in the ranking of the WTA and smiles these days in the Coachella Valley, a before and after of his career. She beat Victoria Azarenka in a marvelous three-hour pulse and won a tournament that until then had not been won by any Spaniard. At the first stop she will collide with Tereza Martinkova or a rival from the previous one.

Without Ashleigh Barty or Barbora Krejcikova, the first two on the list, the other Spanish alternative is Garbiñe Muguruza, who will face the local Alison Riske or a classified.

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