Novak Djokovic withdraws from Miami Open due to COVID travel rules. This is what he said
Novak Djokovic withdrew from the upcoming Indian Wells tennis tournament in California and the Miami Open because of U.S. coronavirus travel restrictions.
The men’s and women’s tennis tours do not require players to be vaccinated, but the CDC requires all non-US citizens to have a COVID vaccination before entering the country. Djokovic, the No. 2 ranked player in the world and 20-time Grand Slam winner, said in an interview with the BBC last month that he had not been vaccinated.
He was included on the entry lists for both events, but on Wednesday posted on Twitter that he does not expect to play. The ATP put out a statement saying he was withdrawing.
“While I was automatically listed in the @BNPPARIBASOPEN and @MiamiOpen draw I knew it would be unlikely I’d be able to travel,” Djokovic wrote. “The CDC has confirmed that regulations won’t be changing so I won’t be able to play in the US. Good luck to those playing in these great tournaments.”
Djokovic began the year ranked No. 1 and was eager to compete for a record-breaking 21st major title at the Australian Open. He arrived in Australia with a medical exemption, but his visa was later revoked, and he was deported by the Australian government, which has among the world’s strictest COVID rules.
“We understood from the beginning that Novak’s participation at the Miami Open was determinant on his early entry into the United States, which we knew would be a long shot,” said Miami Open tournament director James Blake. “We have an incredibly deep and talented player field and look forward to hosting a great event.”
Djokovic is a six-time winner of the Miami Open. Only Andre Agassi has taken home that many men’s trophies from Miami.
This is also where Djokovic got his start. Anybody who was in that Crandon Park Stadium Court on Apr. 1, 2007 will recall the 19-year-old Serb in the yellow shirt knocking off Guillermo Canas to win his first major tournament without dropping a single set. He was the first man to do that since Ivan Lendl in 1989. Djokovic also became the youngest-ever Miami winner.
The Miami Open, which runs March 21 through April 3 at Hard Rock Stadium, will return to full capacity this year after limited capacity in 2021 and cancelation in 2020 due to the pandemic.
Among the players entered are Spanish star Rafael Nadal, coming off his record-breaking 21st Grand Slam title in Australia, defending men’s champion Hubert Hurkacz, No. 2 Daniil Medvedev, No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas, Olympic gold medalist Alexander Zverev and wild card entrants Andy Murray and Nick Kyrgios.
Twenty-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer is recovering from knee surgery and not on the entry list. Serena Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam champion and eight-time Miami Open champion, has not played since a hamstring injury in June 2021.
U.S. Open women’s champion Emma Radacanu and French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova are on the list, as are Victoria Azarenka, Sloane Stephens and wild card entry Naomi Osaka.
Tickets are available by phone at 305-943-6736 or online at www.miamiopen.com. Individual session tickets start at $18. Ticket packages, mini-plans, group programs, and luxury hospitality offerings are also available.
This story was originally published March 9, 2022 at 11:38 PM.