Ashish Ranjan
Novak Djokovic to miss Miami Open: No. 1 in the world Novak Djokovic will skip the upcoming Miami Open because he was denied a Covid-19 vaccine waiver to enter the United States.The 35-year-old Djokovic is also absent from the ongoing Indian Wells Masters because he was unable to secure an exemption.
James Blake, the tournament director, told Tennis Channel, “We attempted to get Novak Djokovic an exemption, but that was not possible.””As one of the premier tournaments in the world, it goes without saying that we want the finest players. We did everything possible. We attempted to communicate with the government, but it was out of our control.”
According to Reuters, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the state’s two US senators were among those urging the administration of President Joe Biden to permit Djokovic’s entry into the country and participation in the tournament, which he has won six times.The United States currently prohibits the entry of unvaccinated individuals; this restriction is anticipated to be lifted on May 11, when the government will end its Covid-19 emergency declaration.
Last year, Djokovic was expelled from Australia after a 10-day legal battle to compete in the Australian Open. A year later, the Serbian returned and won his tenth Melbourne championship.
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Djokovic, who also skipped the 2022 U.S. Open, had stated that he would avoid Grand Slams rather than receive the Covid-19 vaccination. By winning the Australian Open earlier this year, Djokovic tied the record for most Grand Slam titles with 22.
