- Roland Garros Qualifying Draws and Schedule for Tuesday, May 17th
- Roland Garros Qualifying Draws and Schedule for Monday, May 16th
- Djokovic builds momentum for French Open 2022 with sixth Rome Masters Tennis title
- Novak’s Back: Djokovic Beats Tsitsipas for Sixth Rome Crown
- Rome ATP and WTA Draws and Schedule for Sunday, May 15th
- Stefanos Tsitsipas Defeats Alexander Zverev to Reach Maiden Rome Final
- Iga Swiatek Scores 26th Straight Win, Sets up Rome Semifinal vs. Sabalenka
- Rome ATP and WTA Draws and Schedule for Saturday, May 14th
- Foot injury returns for Rafa Nadal in three-set loss to Shapovalov at Rome Masters tennis
- Rome ATP and WTA Draws and Schedule for Friday, May 13th
- Naomi Osaka Splits from IMG To Form New Management Firm
- Ricky’s picks for the Rome Tennis third round: Djokovic vs. Wawrinka and Nadal vs. Shapovalov
- Rome ATP and WTA Draws and Schedule for Thursday, May 12th
- Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Leads List of Roland Garros Wild Card Recipients
- Ricky’s tennis picks for Wednesday at the Rome Masters, including Nadal vs. Isner
Covid-19 forces Sabalenka out of Indian Wells, creates questions about 2022 Australian Open And Novak
- Updated: October 3, 2021
By Ricky Dimon
On the women’s side, the BNP Paribas Open was already without two of its top three seeds. Both world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty and world No. 3 Naomi Osaka withdrew last month. Barty’s exit left Aryna Sabalenka in line to be the top seed at the upcoming 1000-point event, but the world No. 2 was forced to pull out on Saturday because of a positive Covid-19 test.
Players outdoor lunch room at the BNP Paribas Open. It will be full on Monday.
“Unfortunately I’ve tested positive at Indian Wells and won’t be able to compete,” the 23-year-old posted on Instagram, apparently from her hotel room in Indian Wells. “I’ve started my isolation and I’ll be staying here until I’m cleared by the doctors and health officials. So far I’m looking okay but really sad to not be able to play this year.”
Sabalenka’s withdrawal pretty much ends her chances of surpassing Barty for the No. 1 ranking later this year. The Belarusian is currently second in the race, 1,742 points behind.
Speaking of races for No. 1, the men’s Indian Wells Masters will be missing Novak Djokovic. The 34-year-old Serb is still in great position to finish 2021 in the top spot, but Daniil Medvedev can put himself in contention going into the Nitto ATP Finals if he reaches the final in both Indian Wells and Paris. Djokovic withdrew from 2021’s penultimate Masters 1000 tournament last week and it is unclear when he will return to the court on the heels of his near-miss of the calendar-year Grand Slam.
“I am sorry I wont get to see my fans in Indian Wells and play in the desert, my favorite place to go,” the 20-time major champion stated when announcing his withdrawal last week. “I hope to see you next year!
For now the question is if the Australian Open will see Djokovic next year.
Government officials in the state of Victoria–where Melbourne is located– announced this weekend that professional athletes have to be vaccinated before they can compete. While the mandate definitely applies to local athletes, it remains to be seen how–and/or when–it will impact those traveling from overseas.
“Ultimately, if you want to come to work and you’re on the authorized list, you need to have your first jab by Friday, Oct. 15,” Victoria premier Daniel Andrews said.
The clock could be ticking on professional tennis players, who are reportedly one of the least populated vaccinated groups in sports.
Ricky contributes to10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on twitter at @Dimonator.
About Ricky Dimon
Free 10s Whenever Newsletter
Subscribe And Keep Up With The Latest Tennis News And Gossip For Free!
Recent Stories
LIVE SCORES
