COVID-19 rules force Novak Djokovic to withdraw from two major tennis events

World No.2 Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the ATP Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells, as coronavirus rules prevent him from entering the United States.

Novak Djokovic is seen holding a tennis racquet during a match.

Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic. Source: EPA, AAP / Ali Haider

Novak Djokovic will not be playing in the ATP Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells or Miami as coronavirus rules prevent him from entering the United States.

The Serbian has withdrawn from the two prestigious events after the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) confirmed that he needed to be vaccinated to enter the country.

The 20-time major winner revealed last month that he had not received any coronavirus vaccination, insisting he would forego big tournaments "because the principles of decision-making on my body are more important than any title or anything else".

He remains true to his word, missing out on two of the biggest tournaments in the ATP Tour calendar.
"While I was automatically listed in the @bnpparibasopen and @miamiopen draw, I knew, given the entry requirements to the US, it would be unlikely I'd be able to travel there," Djokovic said on his social media.

"But as international COVID regulations are always being amended, I wanted to wait and see if anything would change.

"The CDC confirmed today that regulations are not changing which means I will not be playing in the US.

"I know my fans are looking forward to seeing me play again and I hope to be back playing for them on the tour soon.

"Good luck to everyone who is playing in the US in these great tournaments."
The world No.2, who played his first and only tournament of the year a fortnight ago in Dubai, was overtaken at the top of the rankings by Daniil Medvedev last week and is the only man in the top 100 who remains unvaccinated.

He was deported from Australia in January after the federal government cancelled his visa over his vaccine status, with Rafael Nadal winning the first major of the year to set the men's record of 21 grand slam titles.

The 34-year-old Djokovic is likely to remain in Europe and prepare for the clay-court swing, which gets under way next month.

Share
2 min read

Published

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world
COVID-19 rules force Novak Djokovic to withdraw from two major tennis events | SBS News