Ever since the Australian Open fiasco engulfed Novak Djokovic, there is growing suspense on which tournaments he’ll play. The Serb didn’t have an ideal start to the year as he failed to defend the Grand Slam title Down Under after his deportation from Australia. In an unfortunate turn of events, he was caught up in action off the court rather than on the tennis court.

Following the events in Australia, Djokovic began his campaign this year at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. However, he suffered a shock defeat against Jiri Vesely in the quarterfinals. Subsequently, he lost the top spot to Daniil Medvedev in the ATP rankings.

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Recently, American tennis legend, Chris Evert, opened up on the Serb’s participation in the coming tournaments.

Chris Evert wishes to see Novak Djokovic play more tournaments

The 18-time Grand Slam champion explained how the Serb’s participation in the tournaments is good for the game. Talking on this subject, she said, “Every time Novak Djokovic plays in a tournament it’s better for tennis. It’s much more interesting for everyone. And the fact that he’s one of the few players who can get Nadal in the mud. I was a big fan of The Big 3 and their rivalry. I’m curious to see what happens.” (Translated using Google Translate)

Djokovic has a superior head-to-head record against the other two of the famed ‘Big Three’. In his rivalry against Rafael Nadal, the Serb leads with 30 wins as against Nadal’s 28. Additionally, he has won 27 out of the 50 matches played against Roger Federer.

Djokovic out of the Sunshine Double

Yesterday, the official draw for Indian Wells was released. The Serb was included in the draw amid suspense over his participation. The tournament organizers said that he was placed in the draw since he was on the tournament entry list.

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However, earlier today, the Serb released a statement that read, “While I was automatically listed in the BNP Paribas Open and Miami Open draw I knew it would be unlikely I’d be able to travel. The CDC has confirmed that regulations won’t be changing so I won’t be able to play in the US. Good luck to those playing in these great tournaments.”

With Djokovic withdrawing, Grigor Dimitrov moves up to a seeded spot in the Indian Wells draw.