Explained: Scenarios for the Indian Wells Masters draw if Novak Djokovic does not play

The 2022 Indian Wells Masters men's singles draw has been released, but the draw could change in various ways if Novak Djokovic doesn't play in the tournament. While the Serb has been included in the draw, he is not expected to compete at the Masters 1000 event.

The 34-year-old has not been vaccinated against Covid-19 - a prequisite currently required to enter the United States. However, he remained on the Indian Wells entry list prior to the draw being made and is yet to provide an update regarding his participation.

According to ATP rules, until an official statement of withdrawal is provided, a player will retain their position in the draw if they are on the entry list.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion played his only event of 2022 to date at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships last month. At the ATP 500 tournament, he was defeated by eventual runner-up Jiri Vesely in straight sets in the quarterfinals.

If the World No. 2 does not play in Indian Wells, there are three possible ways the men's draw could be affected:

1) - If Novak Djokovic withdraws before the first day's order of play is announced

Grigor Dimitrov reached the last four at the 2021 Indian Wellas Masters

If Djokovic withdraws from Indian Wells before the order of play for the opening day of the men's singles draw is released, the highest-ranked unseeded player will be moved into his spot. That would be Grigor Dimitrov, a semifinalist at the 2021 event. The Bulgarian would become the No. 33 seed and receive a bye to the second round, as the No. 2 seed would have. A lucky loser (a player who loses in the final round of the qualifying draw) would then take Dimitrov's place.

The same scenario has already played out in the women's draw, with Alize Cornet taking top seed Barbora Krejcikova's spot. The Czech withdrew following the release of the order of play for the first day of the women's draw, making Cornet - who was the highest-ranked unseeded player - the No. 33 seed.

2) - If Novak Djokovic withdraws after the first day's order of play is announced

If the five-time Indian Wells champion withdraws after the opening day's order of play is confirmed, he will be replaced by a lucky loser. This would be the highest-ranked player to have lost in the final round of the qualifying draw, and someone who has not already replaced another player in the main draw as a lucky loser.

3) - If Novak Djokovic does not withdraw after the tournament starts, but is unable to play

Novak Djokovic at the 2022 Dubai Tennis Championships

A third scenario could impact the Indian Wells draw if Djokovic does not play. This could occur if the Serb does not withdraw from the event at any point after it begins and he is unable to compete. His potential second-round opponents - Jordan Thompson or David Goffin - would receive a walkover and progress to the third round.