After Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal from significant tournaments in Florida and California due to his inability to travel to the United States as an unvaccinated foreign citizen, a U.S. Tennis Association spokesperson expressed their optimism Saturday that the world’s No. 1 would be granted access to the country for August’s U.S. Open.
“Policies concerning access to the United States are determined by the White House. We are very hopeful that the policy preventing Novak Djokovic from entering the United States will be rescinded, or lapse, soon,” the USTA’s Chris Widmaier said. “No COVID-19 restrictions are in place at the U.S. Open for any player, fan or other attendees. Novak, one of our sport’s great champions, would be welcome to compete at the 2023 U.S. Open.”
The two-week U.S. Open starts in Flushing Meadows on Aug. 28.
Djokovic, a 35-year-old from Serbia, could not get to New York for the season’s last Grand Slam tournament in 2022 when he also missed the Miami Open and BNP Paribas Open because he never got the shots for the illness caused by the coronavirus.
A six-time Miami Open champion, Djokovic is out of the field for the event that begins next week, a spokesperson for the Miami Open said Saturday.
Djokovic is No. 1 in the ATP rankings and is tied with Rafael Nadal – who is injured and won’t be in Miami – at 22 Grand Slam titles, the record for most won by a man. In 2023, Djokovic is 15-1 with two titles, including at the Australian Open in January.
But he will now have missed the first two Masters 1000 events of the season. He also left the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, which ends this weekend.
Back in April 2020, as the pandemic raged, Djokovic said he opposed needing to be vaccinated to travel. He later said he would not get inoculated even if it meant missing tournaments.
In January 2022, he tried to get an exemption to compete at the Australian Open and traveled to Melbourne. But his visa was revoked after his case went to court, and Djokovic was deported.
Pandemic restrictions have been eased in Australia since, and Djokovic returned this year without a problem and won the season’s first major championship.
Meanwhile, Nadal has been sidelined since hurting his left hip flexor during a second-round loss at Melbourne Park. He aims to return to action at the Monte Carlo Masters next month.
