Novak Djokovic to miss Miami Open due to COVID vaccination status, tournament says

Tennis champion Novak Djokovic is ready to overlook his second U.S. tennis event this 12 months, after he was denied entry into the nation for being unvaccinated towards COVID-19.

The 35-year-old Djokovic will miss the Miami Open, which begins March 22, event director James Blake confirmed to the Tennis Channel on Friday. Djokovic has received the Miami Open six occasions — three of these consecutively. The most recent win got here in 2016. 

Blake mentioned event organizers spoke with federal officers and tried their finest to get an exception to the U.S. coverage, which restricts unvaccinated worldwide vacationers from coming into the U.S. 

“Clearly, we’re one of many premier tournaments on the planet, we might prefer to have the very best gamers that may play,” Blake advised the Tennis Channel. “We did all that we might. We tried to speak to the federal government, however that is out of our arms.”

Some, like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, are calling on President Biden to take away the vaccination requirement and permit the Serbian athlete to compete in U.S. tournaments once more. 

In a press convention earlier this month, DeSantis joked that he would run a ship from the Bahamas to Miami to deliver Djokovic to the event.

“He poses zero threat to the US, zero threat to the state of Florida and 0 threat to Miami,” the governor mentioned on the time.

A spokesman from the U.S. Tennis Affiliation advised the Related Press Saturday that they’re “very hopeful” Djokovic will be capable of play within the U.S. Open, which begins on Aug. 28.

“Insurance policies regarding entry to the US are decided by the White Home. We’re very hopeful that the coverage stopping Novak Djokovic from coming into the US shall be rescinded, or lapse, within the close to future,” Chris Widmaier mentioned. “No COVID-19 restrictions are in place on the U.S. Open for any participant, fan or different attendee. Novak, considered one of our sport’s nice champions, can be welcome to compete on the 2023 U.S. Open.”

Djokovic is at present tied with Rafael Nadal for probably the most profession Grand Slam titles of all time, with 22. In February, he broke the document for probably the most time spent by knowledgeable tennis participant within the No. 1 spot of the ATP rankings after profitable the boys’s singles title on the Australian Open in January — a event he was turned away from in 2022 for being unvaccinated.