Serbia’s Novak Djokovic wears a face masks as he listens to the nationwide anthems previous to a Davis Cup group F match between Serbia and Austria in Innsbruck, Austria, on Nov. 26, 2021.
Michael Probst/AP
disguise caption
toggle caption
Michael Probst/AP
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic wears a face masks as he listens to the nationwide anthems previous to a Davis Cup group F match between Serbia and Austria in Innsbruck, Austria, on Nov. 26, 2021.
Michael Probst/AP
Novak Djokovic mentioned that he won’t be able to compete on the hard-court tennis tournaments in Indian Wells, California, or Miami as a result of he’s unvaccinated and may’t journey to the USA.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion tweeted Wednesday that the Facilities for Illness Management “confirmed the rules will not be altering so I will not be capable of play within the U.S.”
Djokovic, who not too long ago dropped to No. 2 within the ATP rankings, has performed in just one event to this point in 2022 as a result of he has not obtained any photographs to guard in opposition to COVID-19. He was deported from Australia in January and was not allowed to attempt to defend his title at Melbourne Park.
Rafael Nadal wound up profitable the Australian Open for his twenty first main trophy, breaking a tie with Djokovic and Roger Federer for essentially the most claimed by a person within the historical past of tennis.
Djokovic is a 34-year-old from Serbia who mentioned in April 2020, because the coronavirus pandemic raged, that he was against needing to be vaccinated to journey. In June of that 12 months, with skilled tennis on hiatus, he organized a collection of exhibition matches in Serbia and Croatia with no guidelines requiring social distancing or masking — a tour that was known as off after some gamers, together with Djokovic, bought COVID-19.
His title was put within the draw for the BNP Paribas Open in California on Tuesday, despite the fact that his standing was up within the air as a result of the U.S. has been requiring international guests to be vaccinated to enter the nation. As well as, the event had beforehand introduced that everybody on-site at Indian Wells would must be totally inoculated.
“Whereas I used to be robotically listed within the @BNPPARIBASOPEN and @MiamiOpen draw,” Djokovic wrote Wednesday, “I knew it will be unlikely I might be capable of journey.”
Indian Wells is beneath method this week; the Miami Open begins on March 21.
“We understood from the start that Novak’s participation on the Miami Open was determinant on his entry into the USA, which we knew could be an extended shot,” mentioned James Blake, the event director in Miami. “We’ve an extremely deep and proficient participant discipline, and sit up for internet hosting an incredible occasion.”
Chris Widmaier, a spokesman for the U.S. Tennis Affiliation, which runs the U.S. Open, mentioned the group would don’t have any remark apart from to notice that the occasion follows authorities tips. The American Grand Slam event is scheduled to start on Aug. 29.
It has been a turbulent begin to 2022 for Djokovic, who went via detention and a courtroom case throughout an 11-day saga in Australia earlier than he was despatched dwelling. Throughout the authorized back-and-forth, Djokovic mentioned he wasn’t vaccinated and thought he ought to get a medical exemption to guidelines requiring the photographs as a result of, he mentioned, he examined optimistic for COVID-19 once more in December. He additionally mentioned he attended an in-person interview with a reporter regardless of having that end result.
In February, Djokovic mentioned in an interview that he wouldn’t get vaccinated, even when he must be with a purpose to take part in occasions such because the French Open or Wimbledon.
On the final day of final month, Djokovic dropped out of the No. 1 rating for the primary time in two years, sliding to No. 2 behind Daniil Medvedev. Djokovic’s 361 complete weeks atop the ATP are a report, as are his seven instances ending a season at No. 1.
And on March 1, Djokovic introduced that he and coach Marian Vajda had been splitting up after 15 years collectively.
In his lone event of the 12 months, Djokovic misplaced to Jiri Vesely within the quarterfinals of the Dubai Championships.
