BNP Paribas Open 202- Withdrawals/ pullouts List: The much-awaited Indian Wells Masters is all set to kickstart from October 6. A number of lower-ranked players have the opportunity to win ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 titles. In men’s singles, the absence of Big 3- Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer’s could lead to the berth of a new champion. All eyes will be on Felix Auger-Aliassime, Carlos Alcaraz Garfia, Daniil Medvedev, among others. Follow Indian Wells Masters live updates on insidesport.in and live streaming on VOOT.
BNP Paribas Open 202- Withdrawals/ pullouts List: Meanwhile, the likes of World No.1 Ash Barty, former champion Naomi Osaka has opened possibilities for Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek, Karolina Pliskova, and US Open champion Emma Raducanu, and runner-up Leylah Fernandez, among others. They can seize the opportunity to win the silverware.
BNP Paribas Open 2021: From Novak Djokovic to Naomi Osaka, List all the withdrawals/ pullouts from Indian Wells Masters
Also Read: WTA Finals 2021: World No.3 Karolina Pliskova becomes 4th player to qualify for mega event
Novak Djokovic
Five times Indian Wells Masters champion and World No.1 Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the tournament. “I am sorry I won’t get to see my fans in Indian Wells and play in the desert, my favourite place to go,” Djokovic said in a statement, adding, “I hope to see you next year!”. The 34-year-old had last competed in US Open where he lost the final to Daniil Medvedev. The loss denied him to become the first player in the 21st century to win Calendar Grand Slam.
Naomi Osaka
Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka officially pulled out of the BNP Paribas Open after she decided to take a break after her US Open exit. Osaka had last won the Indian Wells Masters in 2018. Osaka, whose year was a roller-coaster ride after the French Open controversy, had spoken to reporters after US Open and closed her brief press conference by revealing her intention to take a break.
Rafael Nadal
In August, Rafael Nadal announced that he will miss the rest of the 2021 season due to a left foot injury. He had last played in the French Open.
“Hello everyone, I wanted to inform you that unfortunately, I have to end the 2021 season. Honestly, I’ve been suffering a lot more than I should with my foot for a year and I need to take some time. After having discussed it with the team and family, this decision has been made and I think it is the way forward to try to recover and recover well,” Nadal said in a video posted on his Instagram.
BNP Paribas Open 2021: From Novak Djokovic to Naomi Osaka, List all the withdrawals/ pullouts from Indian Wells Masters
Roger Federer
Swiss Tennis Maestro Roger Federer, who missed a number of tournaments due to knee surgery, is also set to miss the Indian Wells Masters. Federer was last seen in action during the Wimbledon.
“I just wanted to give you a bit of an update on what’s been going on since Wimbledon. As you can imagine, it has not been simple. I have been doing a lot of checks with the doctors as well on my knee, getting all the information as I hurt myself further during the grass-court season and Wimbledon. That’s just not the way to go forward, so unfortunately they told me for the medium to long term to feel better, I will need surgery. I decided to do it,” Federer said in a video posted on his Instagram account in August.
Serena Williams
BNP Paribas Open 2021: Serena Williams, who didn’t make it to the US Open because of a hamstring breach, wasn’t on the entry list for the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. She had last featured in the opening round of Wimbledon which she exited due to a leg injury on the grass court.
In just the fourth game, Serena slipped on the grass and had to leave the court to receive treatment for her left ankle. She tried to carry on but retired at 3-3 after 34 minutes of play.
Nick Kyrgios
In September, Australia’s Nick Kyrgios said that he will undergo treatment to fix a painful knee that has been bothering him for two months and hopes to be fully fit for his home major at the Australian Open in January. The mercurial Australian, 26, headed home after playing the Laver Cup in Boston, his last event in the 2021 season. “Hey guys, over the last couple of months, I haven’t been near 100% healthy,” Kyrgios wrote on an Instagram story. “I’ve been dealing with left knee patella tendinopathy, and continuing to play without fully treating it can lead to further pain and greater setbacks.”
Ash Barty
World number one Ash Barty has withdrawn from WTA 1000 tournament at Indian Wells, the tournament has said, casting doubts on whether her 2021 season is over. Wimbledon champion Barty had last played at the US Open where she was knocked out in the third round. Barty’s withdrawal is another blow for the tournament, with 2018 champion Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams also sitting out.
BNP Paribas Open 2021: From Novak Djokovic to Naomi Osaka, List all the withdrawals/ pullouts from Indian Wells Masters
Also Read: ATP Tour: ATP CEO Massimo Calvelli confirms, Alexander Zverev under allegations for domestic abuse
Johanna Konta
BNP Paribas Open 2021: Johanna Konta has also pulled out of the BNP Paribas Open 2021. She had earlier withdrawn from the US Open with a thigh injury. Konta had earlier missed Wimbledon after a player from her team tested positive for COVID-19.
Marin Cilic
2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic had also announced her withdrawal from Indian Wells Masters. The World No. 40 had last played in the opening round of the US Open where she lost to Philipp Kohlschreiber.
For more sports news and Indian Wells Masters/ BNP Paribas Open 2021 updates, follow us at insidesport.in
Editors pick
