Novak Djokovic will miss subsequent week’s Miami Open after being denied an exemption that will have allowed him to enter the U.S. regardless of not being vaccinated in opposition to COVID-19, match director James Blake mentioned Friday.
“We tried to get Novak Djokovic to be allowed to get an exemption, but that wasn’t able to happen,” Blake advised Tennis Channel. “Obviously, we’re one of the premier tournaments in the world. We’d like to have the best players that can play. We did all that we could. We tried to talk to the government, but that’s out of our hands.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott had been amongst these calling on the Biden administration to permit Djokovic to enter the U.S. and compete on the match he has gained six occasions, most just lately in 2016.
Djokovic, 35, can also be lacking the continued Masters match in Indian Wells, California, as a result of his incapability to safe the exemption.
The U.S. presently bars unvaccinated foreigners from entry into the nation, a coverage that’s anticipated to be lifted when the federal government ends its COVID-19 emergency declarations May 11.
A U.S. Tennis Association spokesperson mentioned Saturday that the group is “very hopeful” that Djokovic will probably be allowed into the nation for the US Open, which begins Aug. 28.
“We are very hopeful that the policy preventing Novak Djokovic from entering the United States will be rescinded, or lapse, in the near future,” the USTA’s Chris Widmaier wrote to The Associated Press. “No COVID-19 restrictions are in place at the U.S. Open for any player, fan or other attendee. Novak, one of our sport’s great champions, would be welcome to compete at the 2023 U.S. Open.”
Djokovic, who missed final 12 months’s Australian Open after being deported from that nation due to his vaccination standing, has mentioned he would skip Grand Slams moderately than obtain a COVID-19 shot.
He gained his record-tying twenty second Grand Slam on the Australian Open in January. He has not performed at Indian Wells or the Miami Open since 2019.
A consultant for Djokovic mentioned the participant would make no additional remark relating to his absence from the Miami match and that he deliberate to return to the tour on the Monte Carlo Masters clay-court occasion that begins April 9.
Djokovic will then proceed his preparations for the French Open in May by taking part in within the Srpska Open in Banja Luka, Bosnia.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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