Novak Djokovic is expected to miss Indian Wells and Miami ATP Open 1,000 events this year if still not vaccinated against COVID-19, after US authorities said non-citizens will need to have taken their shots to enter the country.
A statement from the Transportation Security Administration said Wednesday that the requirement for foreign air travelers to be fully vaccinated against the disease would be in place until April 10.
Indian Wells runs from March 6-19 and the Miami Open from March 20-April 2 and Djokovic risks missing the two important hard-court tournaments if he doesn’t get the shot.
The 35-year-old Serb was unable to defend his Australian Open crown last year after being expelled from that country on the eve of the hard-court major due to his unvaccinated status.
Djokovic, who has won 21 Grand Slam titles, was also unable to travel to New York for the 2022 US Open without proof of vaccination, the same reason that forced him to miss tournaments in Indian Wells and at Miami.
The nine-time Australian Open champion is currently preparing for the 2023 season in Adelaide for the Australian Open from January 16-29, after his three-year travel ban for the country was lifted in November.
The move paved the way for him to aim for a 10th Grand Slam title and equal Rafa Nadal’s mark of 22 majors.
Djokovic, who previously said he would miss Grand Slams rather than get the COVID vaccine, said last week he would never forget what it was like to be kicked out of Australia but hoped move on.
“What happened 12 months ago was not easy to digest for a while, but at the same time I had to move on,” Djokovic said last week during his first press conference since arriving in Australia.
A statement from the Transportation Security Administration said Wednesday that the requirement for foreign air travelers to be fully vaccinated against the disease would be in place until April 10.
Indian Wells runs from March 6-19 and the Miami Open from March 20-April 2 and Djokovic risks missing the two important hard-court tournaments if he doesn’t get the shot.
The 35-year-old Serb was unable to defend his Australian Open crown last year after being expelled from that country on the eve of the hard-court major due to his unvaccinated status.
Djokovic, who has won 21 Grand Slam titles, was also unable to travel to New York for the 2022 US Open without proof of vaccination, the same reason that forced him to miss tournaments in Indian Wells and at Miami.
The nine-time Australian Open champion is currently preparing for the 2023 season in Adelaide for the Australian Open from January 16-29, after his three-year travel ban for the country was lifted in November.
The move paved the way for him to aim for a 10th Grand Slam title and equal Rafa Nadal’s mark of 22 majors.
Djokovic, who previously said he would miss Grand Slams rather than get the COVID vaccine, said last week he would never forget what it was like to be kicked out of Australia but hoped move on.
“What happened 12 months ago was not easy to digest for a while, but at the same time I had to move on,” Djokovic said last week during his first press conference since arriving in Australia.
