No vaxx, no Novak.
Tennis superstar Novak Djokovic will not participate in hard-court tournaments in Indian Wells, Calif.or Miami because of his non-vaccinated status. The announcement a few hours ago was not unexpected, given that he was banned earlier from the Australian Open and deported. The US requires a vaccination for foreigners attempting to legally enter the country.
A 20-time Grand Slam champion, Djokovic tweeted Wednesday that the Centers for Disease Control “confirmed the regulations won’t be changing, so I won’t be able to play in the US.”
Djokovic recently slipped to No. 2 in the ATP rankings, trailing Daniil Medvedev. He has played in only one tournament so far in 2022 because of his lack of a vaccination.
The 34-year-old Djokovic
Djokovic is a 34-year-old from organized a series of exhibition matches in Serbia and Croatia with no rules requiring social distancing or masking. That was canceled when a number of players, including Djokovic, contracted Covid-19.
Still, Djokovic’s name was put in the draw for the BNP Paribas Open In Indian Wells on Tuesday.
“While I was automatically listed in the @BNPPARIBASOPEN and @MiamiOpen draw,” Djokovic wrote Wednesday, “I knew it would be unlikely I’d be able to travel.”
Indian Wells is under way this week; the Miami Open starts on March 21.
