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The first ATP Masters 1000/WTA 1000 event of the year gets underway at Indian Wells on Wednesday (March 8).
One of the two biggest events - the other being Miami - outside of the four Grand Slams, Indian Wells has a field of 96 players each in the men's and women's singles draws.
With 1,000 ranking points and a cool prize money of $1.26 million for the champion, the best players from both tours make it a point to grace the tournament. Defending champions Taylor Fritz and Iga Swiatek are expected to return this year for their title defense.
The men's draw also features some prominent names like former World No. 1s Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev, as well as Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud. The women's draw has reigning Australian Open winner Aryna Sabalenka and reigning WTA Finals champion Caroline Garcia, in addition to the likes of Maria Sakkari and Victoria Azarenka.
However, a few big names will be conspicuous by their absence across both the men's and women's singles draws at 2023 Indian Wells. Here's a look at five of them in no particular order:
#5 Venus Williams
Venus Williams is one of the biggest names missing at Indian Wells this year.
The 42-year-old started the season with a win and a loss at the ASB Auckland Classic. However, she subsequently sustained a hamstring injury, which forced her to miss the Australian Open.
The former World No. 1 now faces a long spell on the sidelines.
Williams recently said about her injury:
“To be honest, I was super overwhelmed by the injury. I’ve been injured a long time now and I couldn’t believe I had to go back to rehab. This is the kind of injury that you have to let it rest a bit before you can start to do serious rehab. You have to walk before you run, and I’m starting to walk pretty good. Hopefully, I’ll be running soon, but for now, I’ll not be playing tennis.”
At Auckland, the seven-time Grand Slam singles winner was playing her first tournament since the 2022 US Open.
#4 Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam winner, will be another high-profile absentee at 2023 Indian Wells.
The World No. 64, who is yet to play this season, announced a 'little life update' earlier this year. Osaka is expecting her first child in 2023 and will not play until at least the 2024 Australian Open.
Osaka hasn't played since the 2022 Tokyo Open in September.
#3 Nick Kyrgios
Nick Kyrgios will be one of the biggest absentees from the men's draw at the first Masters 1000 event of the year.
The World No. 22 hasn't played this year given that he underwent knee surgery in January, which forced him out of the United Cup and the Australian Open.
The 2022 Wimbledon finalist is not yet ready to return to action, and has pulled out of Indian Wells and Miami. A quarterfinalist at Indian Wells last year, Kyrgios is set to drop 270 ranking points over the next four weeks.
The Australian, who hasn't played since Tokyo last year, is expected to return during the claycourt swing next month.
#2 Rafael Nadal
Three-time winner Rafael Nadal won't feature in the first Masters 1000 event of the year, as he's still recovering from a hip injury picked up at the Australian Open in January.
The injury hasn't healed enough for the Spaniard to return to action, and has forced him to pull out of both Indian Wells and Miami. In a recent tweet, Nadal said:
"It’s been a while since I don’t communicate with you. Took my time off, started rehab, gym and physiotherapy as instructed by the doctors. Getting ready to come back the in the best conditions. I am sad that I won’t be able to compete at Indian Wells nor Miami. Very sad not to be there. I’ll miss all my US fans but I hope to see them later this year during the summer swing."
The three-time winner was defending 600 points, having reached the final last year. His withdrawal, coupled with Taylor Fritz reaching the Acapulco semifinals, means that Nadal's incredible streak of 912 weeks inside the top 10 will end on March 20.
#1 Novak Djokovic (5-time Indian Wells winner)
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic will miss Indian Wells and the subsequent Miami Masters because of his COVID-19 vaccination stance.
The US has relaxed its entry requirements for unvaccinated foreigners, but that only comes into effect on May 11. Djokovic's request for an exemption was rejected by Homeland Security, as per Florida Senator Rick Scott, who urged President Joe Biden to intervene but to no avail.
The Serb has now pulled out of Indian Wells for the second straight year.
The five-time winner has now not played the event since a Round of 32 exit in 2019 (the 2020 edition was canceled due to the pandemic). Djokovic's only loss in 16 matches this year came against eventual champion Daniil Medvedev, in last week's Dubai Tennis Championships semifinals.
With no points to defend at Indian Wells and Miami, Djokovic will stay No. 1 unless Alacaraz wins both tournaments.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
