Natalia Chi
Tennis champion Novak Djokovic will miss the second US tennis tournament this year after being denied entry for not having a COVID-19 vaccination.
Djokovic, 35, will miss the Miami Open, which starts on March 22, said tournament director James Blake. Confirmed on the Tennis Channel on Friday.Djokovic is won He has played in the Miami Open six times, three of them in a row. The most recent win was in 2016.
Blake said tournament organizers did their best to talk to federal officials and obtain exceptions to U.S. policy. Restrict Prevent unvaccinated international travelers from entering the United States
“Obviously we have one of the best tournaments in the world and we want to get the best players available to play,” Blake told the Tennis Channel. “We did everything we could. We tried to talk to the government, but it’s out of our control.”
Some, like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, are calling for President Biden to lift the vaccination requirement and allow Serbian players to compete in US tournaments again.
At a press conference earlier this month, DeSantis joked that he would run a boat from the Bahamas to Miami to bring Djokovic to the tournament.
“He poses zero risk to the United States, Florida and Miami,” the governor said at the time.
Amin Mohammad Jamali/Getty Images
A spokesperson for the United States Tennis Association said, Associated Press They said Saturday they are “very hopeful” that Djokovic will be able to play at the US Open, which starts on August 28.
“Policies regarding access to the United States are determined by the White House. We strongly hope that the policy preventing Novak Djokovic from entering the United States will be revoked or expire in the near future,” said Chris. Widmaier said. “The US Open has no COVID-19 restrictions for any player, fan or other attendee. Novak, one of our sport’s greatest champions, said: We look forward to welcoming you to the 2023 US Open.”
Djokovic now holds a record 22 Grand Slam titles, tied with Rafael Nadal. Ranking After winning the men’s singles title at the Australian Open, January — the tournament he was in turned away In 2022 for not being vaccinated.
