Novak Djokovic also misses the next important tournament. Because the world number one, who was not vaccinated against the corona virus, is still not allowed to enter the USA, the 35-year-old Serb will also be absent from the Miami Open, which begins next week, after the Masters tournament in Indian Wells.
“We tried to get an exemption for Novak Djokovic. But that didn’t work out,” said tournament director James Blake on Friday (local time). “We’ve tried to talk to the government, but that’s out of our hands.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, among others, had advocated an exception for the 22-time Grand Slam winner. The US tennis association USTA and the organizers of the US Open had also pledged their support. Until May 11, the rule in the USA that foreigners need proof of vaccination if they arrive by plane is still in force.
Djokovic has already won the tournament in Miami six times. “We are one of the most important tournaments in the world, we want to have the best players who can play. We did everything we could,” Blake said.