Novak Djokovic in the draw for Indian Wells, but his status remains unclear

In the United States — where Indian Wells is held — any non-US citizen must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 in order to receive a visa and enter the country.

“Novak Djokovic is on the tournament entry list, and therefore is placed into the draw today,” a statement from the tournament said on Tuesday. “We are currently in communication with his team; however, it has not been determined if he will participate in the event by getting CDC approval to enter the country. We will provide updates in the future as we learn more.”

CNN has reached out to the CDC, Djokovic’s representation and the US State Department for comment.

Djokovic’s comments came following his deportation from Australia in January, preventing his participation in the Australian Open, due to his refusal to take a Covid-19 vaccine.

Before the Australian Open, Djokovic was tied with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer with a record 20 grand slam singles titles. With Djokovic absent at the Australian Open, Nadal went on to win the tournament, his 21st grand slam title and a new record in men’s tennis.

Djokovic’s only tournament action in 2022 came at the Dubai Championships last month, when he lost in the quarterfinals to then-ranked No. 123 Jiri Vesely. This upset led to Daniil Medvedev taking over the world No. 1 ranking from Djokovic.

Djokovic is currently ranked second in the world while Medvedev is the top seed in the Indian Wells men’s singles draw.

If he is allowed to compete at Indian Wells, unofficially known as the sport’s ‘fifth grand slam,’ Djokovic would receive a first-round bye and take to the court in the second round where he would play either David Goffin or Jordan Thompson.