(AP) — After Novak Djokovic withdrew from tournaments in Florida and California because he however cannot travel to the United States as a foreign citizen who is not vaccinated against COVID-19, a U.S. Tennis Affiliation spokesman reported Saturday the group is “very hopeful” the leading-ranked participant will be allowed into the nation for the U.S. Open up in August.
“Policies about accessibility to the United States are determined by the White Household. We are incredibly hopeful that the plan preventing Novak Djokovic from moving into the United States will be rescinded, or lapse, in the in the vicinity of upcoming,” the USTA’s Chris Widmaier wrote to The Associated Press. “No COVID-19 limitations are in place at the U.S. Open up for any player, fan or other attendee. Novak, a single of our sport’s wonderful champions, would be welcome to contend at the 2023 U.S. Open up.”
The two-7 days U.S. Open commences in Flushing Meadows on Aug. 28.
Djokovic, a 35-yr-previous from Serbia, was unable to get to New York for the season’s last Grand Slam event in 2022, when he also skipped the Miami Open and BNP Paribas Open for the reason that he under no circumstances received the shots for the sickness brought about by the coronavirus.
A six-time Miami Open champion, Djokovic is out of the subject for the occasion that starts upcoming week, a spokesman for the Miami Open explained Saturday.
Djokovic is No. 1 in the ATP rankings and is tied with Rafael Nadal — who is wounded and also will not be in Miami — at 22 Grand Slam titles, the report for most won by a gentleman. In 2023, Djokovic is 15-1 with two titles, together with at the Australian Open up in January.
But he will now have missed the first two Masters 1000 occasions of the period. He also pulled out of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, which ends this weekend.
Back in in April 2020, as the pandemic raged, Djokovic claimed he was opposed to needing to be vaccinated to vacation. He afterwards claimed he would not get inoculated even if it meant missing tournaments.
In January 2022, he experimented with to get an exemption to compete at the Australian Open and traveled to Melbourne. But just after his case went to courtroom, his visa was revoked and Djokovic was deported from the place.
Pandemic restrictions have been eased in Australia considering that, and Djokovic returned this year with no a trouble and won the season’s initial important championship.
Meanwhile, Nadal has been sidelined because hurting his remaining hip flexor through a 2nd-round reduction at Melbourne Park. He is aiming to return to motion at the Monte Carlo Masters subsequent thirty day period.
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