Djokovic to miss key US events over vaccine rules

2 years ago 56

Novak Djokovic playing astatine the Adelaide International

Novak Djokovic is acceptable to miss Indian Wells and the Miami Open aft the United States extended its request for planetary visitors to beryllium vaccinated against Covid-19.

Proof of vaccination volition beryllium required to participate the state until astatine slightest 10 April but Serbia's Djokovic has antecedently said helium is unvaccinated.

Indian Wells and the Miami Open - 2 of the astir prestigious tournaments connected the tennis calendar extracurricular the Grand Slams - commencement connected 6 and 20 March respectively.

Former satellite fig 1 Djokovic, 35, is presently in Australia - 12 months aft helium was deported from the state earlier the Australian Open due to the fact that of his vaccination status.

Australia dropped its vaccine requirements successful July and Djokovic's three-year visa prohibition was overturned successful November.

He is done to the 2nd circular of the Adelaide International arsenic helium continues his build-up to the Australian Open, the archetypal large of the season, which starts connected 16 January.

Djokovic is simply a nine-time champion successful Melbourne and is conscionable 1 Grand Slam rubric shy of Rafael Nadal's men's grounds of 22.

Speaking astir his 2022 acquisition successful Australia, successful which helium was detained and forced to enactment astatine an migration hotel, helium said: "You can't hide those events. It's 1 of these things that sticks with you, it stays with you for I conjecture the remainder of your life.

"It was thing that I've ne'er experienced before, and hopefully ne'er again."

Analysis

BBC tennis analogous Russell Fuller

The back-to-back tournaments successful Indian Wells and Miami are not lone highly prestigious, but besides often an important staging station to the 3 summertime Grand Slams.

It is imaginable Djokovic's lack from these events past twelvemonth contributed to his quarter-final decision by Rafael Nadal astatine Roland Garros, though determination was the added complication of not being capable to play successful Australia either.

Djokovic could perchance instrumentality to satellite fig 1 by winning the Australian Open, but forfeiting up to 2,000 ranking points successful missing the US tournaments whitethorn good person a important bearing connected his ranking thereafter.

And with each hold of the US vaccine requirement, the menace of Djokovic missing August's US Open increases.

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