"Man who said sacrificing trophies is price he's willing to pay is not looking very willing to pay price after all" - Tennis fans call out Novak Djokovic for not withdrawing from Indian Wells

Novak Djokovic has once again found himself in hot water, this time at the Indian Wells Masters. Although the World No. 2 does not qualify to enter the United States because of existing vaccine mandates, he has been included in the draw for the tournament in California.

According to the rules, a player will only be removed from mandatory ATP 1000 events after they communicate their decision directly to tournament organizers. Since the Serb has not initiated the move, he has been provisionally announced as the second seed.

In a statement released on social media, tournament organizers revealed that they are trying to contact the 20-time Grand Slam champion and his team to see if he received any last-minute exemptions from the CDC.

"Novak Djokovic is on the tournament entry list, and therefore is placed into the draw today. We are currently in communication with his team; however, it has not been determined if he will participate in the event by getting CDC approval to enter the country," the statement read. "We will provide updates in the future as we learn more."

But with only a couple of days left until the main draw kicks off on 10 March, tennis fans on Twitter were understandably unhappy with Djokovic's actions -- or lack thereof. Many called him out for leaving it till the 11th hour to withdraw, thereby drawing attention away from the on-court action.

"As if Novak Djokovic needs any more bad PR, failing to withdraw before the Indian Wells draw is made is NOT a good look. how long will this [circus] go on?" one user tweeted.

"At least he got the attention he so obviously craves," another user tweeted.

Some fans were worried about the indirect impact the Serb's refusal to withdraw could have on the rest of the field, and lower-ranked players in particular. Had he pulled out before the qualifying draw was announced, World No. 85 Joao Sousa would have entered the main draw and someone else would have taken up Sousa's place in the qualifiers.

"People who don't follow tennis closely won't understand how he's negatively impacting the qualifying and main draws each time he does this, and potentially depriving some people of the opportunity to play," a fan wrote.

"As many have mentioned, Novak Djokovic pretends to be some “champion” for lower-ranked players and fights for their interests, yet refuses to withdraw and therefore impacts main draw entry lists and qualifying draws. His only interest is his own," another fan wrote.

It should be noted that Sousa ended up winning his first qualifying match against Max Purcell, a three-set marathon that lasted three hours.

However, the reason most fans were unhappy was because of Novak Djokovic's recent interview with the BBC. In the interview, the Serb had stated that he was "willing to pay the price" of missing out on tournaments if it meant he could stick to his principles.

But several fans have pointed out the discrepancy between what he had said back then and his actions now.

"The man who said sacrificing trophies is a price he's willing to pay is not looking very willing to pay the price after all," one user tweeted.

"I swear to God he’s so annoying. You were ready to miss tournaments over the vaccine. Why can’t you just stick to that instead of screwing up another draw and depriving someone else of a place," another user on Twitter lamented.

Novak Djokovic fans defend the Serb amid uncertainty over Indian Wells Masters participation

Novak Djokovic fans, on the other hand, did not think he had done anything untoward

It was not just criticism that was reserved for Novak Djokovic for his recent shenanigans. His loyal group of fans flocked to his support, remarking that the World No. 2 had done nothing that was against the rules and that he was merely waiting for the CDC to confirm his eligibility.

In fact, most fans of the Serb were of the opinion that it was tennis that was losing out if he was unable to play in the tournament.

"[Novak Djokovic] is reported to have caught the virus, not once but twice! Would have acquired robust natural immunity. Played a tournament in Dubai last month. I don't believe it triggered a spike in cases or anyone died as a result. Tennis is losing out due to a ridiculous policy!" a fan wrote.

"If you could find a way to play within the rules, why not. Try all the options possible and if everything is closed don't play. Simple as that. To all the trollers: He said he's willing to skip tournaments if "he's not allowed to play", if he's allowed to play why not?" another fan wrote.

If Djokovic is miraculously allowed to play in Indian Wells, the five-time winner is slated to take on the winner of the first-round encounter between Jordan Thompson and David Goffin in his opener.