Novak Djokovic to play at Indian Wells after injury worries

NEW YORK – Novak Djokovic will play at Indian Wells, the ATP 1000-level tournament confirmed on social media, as the Serb shakes off injury concerns and resumes his hunt for a 100th singles title.

The 24-time Grand Slam winner retired from his Australian Open semi-final against Alexander Zverev with a hamstring issue in January, and lost in the Qatar Open first round last week.

The 37-year-old said that he “played without pain” in Doha, but his disappointing display raised concerns among fans that he would not play in the Southern California event.

“A legend returns to the desert,” the tournament wrote on X on Feb 22, quieting concerns about whether he would play.

Five-time Indian Wells winner Djokovic will aim to become the third man to claim 100 singles titles in the professional era behind Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103).

However, former world No. 1 Venus Williams will not compete, despite the WTA 1000 event giving the 44-year-old American a wild card.

Williams, who played only two tournaments last season, said at an event in Denmark that she had not been told of the wild card before the tournament announced it on Feb 19 and added that she was unable to compete due to previous commitments.

“I found the announcement super amusing because, I don’t know, people seem to be happy, so I was like, ‘Maybe I’ll just go with it, I don’t know’. I’m actually not going. I’m going to be overseas,” Williams said at the event in the city of Naestved.

Tournament director Tommy Haas later released a statement confirming that Williams would not be playing at the March 2-16 event.

“Our team has been informed that Venus is not accepting the wild card this year. We wish Venus all the best and hope to see her back in Indian Wells in the future,” it read.

Williams boycotted the event for 15 years after fans booed and heckled her younger sister Serena during her 2001 final victory over Kim Clijsters, apparently in response to Venus withdrawing injured from their semi-final.

“I love Indian Wells. I would love to be there and if I could have accepted it, I would have been like, ‘Yes’, but I already made commitments,” Venus Williams added. 

On the court, Argentina’s Sebastian Baez retained his title at the Rio Open on Feb 23 by beating France’s Alexandre Muller 6-2 6-3 to claim his seventh ATP title.

The 24-year-old Baez quickly found his rhythm, breaking Muller in the seventh game to take a 5-2 lead before closing out the first set to love.

Despite Muller’s best efforts in the second set, where he took a 3-2 lead and put the South American under pressure, Baez rallied and wrapped up the contest with 26 winners.

“It’s been tough all week and over the last month, but I’m so happy now, for the title and of course for every match I played,” world No. 31 Baez said.

“You want to win every final, every title, but I tried to concentrate in every game, one point at a time. I think the support is very important, so I’m grateful for my team.”

Six of the 24-year-old’s seven trophies have come on clay and since the start of 2022, he has earned 73 wins on the surface, the most of anyone else on the circuit.

Muller, meanwhile, was hoping to claim his second tour-level title, having won in Hong Kong earlier this season in January. The 28-year-old climbed 19 spots in the rankings to a career-high No. 41 on Feb 24. REUTERS, AFP