Indian Wells will begin next Monday, but the Serbian Novak Djokovic still does not know if he will be able to participate in the Master 1000. The number one in world tennis, who lost yesterday in the semifinals of the Dubai tournament, could be left without playing if he does not arrive at the last minute a vaccine exemption.
The matter is so important that American tennis, through several of its most relevant figures and the tournaments involved, is putting pressure on the United States government, which must make a decision in the next few hours.
According to Republican Senator Rick Scott, governor of Florida between 2011 and 2019, the decision is currently contrary to the interests of the Serb. “We have been told that the security department has just denied Novak Djokovic's request for a vaccine exemption, making him ineligible to compete next week in California and the following week in Miami. Joe Biden must fix this now, grant the waiver and allow him to compete in the United States ”, he has shared on his social networks.
Hours before, Scott himself together with another senator from Florida, Marco Rubio, published a letter addressed to the president of the United States urging them to facilitate Djokovic's entry into the country. “We are writing to urge you to grant the requested waiver, which is necessary to allow Mr. Djokovic to compete in the Miami Open professional tennis tournament to be held in our home state of Florida beginning March 19, 2023. ″, begin in your writing.
“Whatever the decision, it will be known before the draw; If I am not allowed, I will retire, of course, before it”, assured Djokovic this week, who has received numerous supports, such as the US Open. “Novak Djokovic is one of the greatest champions our sport has seen. The USTA and the US Open are hopeful that Novak will be successful in his petition to enter the country and that fans will be able to see him back in action in Indian Wells and Miami," the organization shared on Twitter.
The director of Indian Wells, Tommy Haas, and the director of the Miami Open, James Blake, have defended their participation: "It is obvious that the only problem is that he still cannot enter the US. It would be good if these measures were lifted a little earlier and have it here. We should give it a try. Let's hope it's here. In my opinion, it would be a great shame if he were not there ”, Haas has repeatedly stated. "I want to thank the directors of both tournaments for their gestures, who showed me their support and tried to have an effect on the United States government to allow me to enter," Djokovic thanked them as soon as he landed in Dubai.
For his part, Blake assured that "it seems increasingly unlikely." “It's taking a long time, so it's looking increasingly unlikely that it will be there, but we've done everything we can to try to get a waiver. We'll see if it's effective, but unfortunately, it's out of our hands. He has been invited. He is on the list. We would love for him to play. He has won it six times before. We would love for him to have a chance to go for seventh. We have done everything we could, ”he explained.
