Djokovic returns in Monte Carlo (AFP).
The Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic, who has not played since last February and missed the Masters 1000 in Indian Wells and Miami due to his refusal to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, confirmed today that he will reappear on the circuit in Monte Carlo, a tournament that will be played from 9 to next April 16.
“I’m sorry I missed Indian Wells and Miami, but it’s a decision I made consciously. I’m going to return in Monte Carlo and I hope to do it in the best way,” said the 35-year-old Serb in an interview he gave in his country and reported by the sports newspaper Spanish A.S.
Djokovic, champion this year in Adelaide and the Australian Open, and finalist in Dubai (lost to Russian Daniil Medvedev) ceded world number one to Spanish Carlos Alcaraz after his absence in Indian Wells because the US government did not allowed him to enter the country for not having been vaccinated against the coronavirus.
Rafael Nadal does not want to continue giving ground (AFP).
In any case, if Alcaraz, champion in Indian Wells, does not retain the title in Miami, he will lose the points he had obtained last year and number one will return to Djokovic’s hands.
The Serbian, who equaled the mark of 22 Grand Slam titles held by Spanish Rafael Nadal in Australia, inactive due to injury, will return in April on the European tour on clay.
In Monte Carlo, Djokovic will meet for the first time this year in the same tournament with “Rafa” Nadal, in the final phase of his recovery, and with Alcaraz, who missed the start of the season due to injury and just started at the Argentina Open , a tournament that he won after defeating the British Cameron Norrie in the final.
Carlos Alcaraz won the Argentina Open (photo Alfredo Luna).
The Monte Carlo Masters 1000 has Nadal as the maximum champion with a record of 11 titles, the last in 2018, while Djokovic conquered it twice (2013 and 2015) and the last two editions were won by the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (2021 and 2022).
