‘Antivaccinist’ Djokovic not allowed to compete in U.S. tournaments

Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic, who was turned down by the Australian Open in January due to his refusal to COVID-19 vaccination, will not be able to entertain his fans in the upcoming U.S. competitions.

Djokovic wrote Thursday on his social media regarding the BNP Paribas Open and the Miami Open, “It would be unlikely I’d be able to travel there.” The former opened in Indian Wells, California, on Thursday and the latter will take place in Miami, Florida, on March 23, both of which are part of the Masters 1000 tournaments right below the Grand Slam tournaments.

Djokovic, the BNP Paribas’ No. 2 seed, was excluded from the draw one day before the opening of the competition. “The CDC confirmed today that regulations are not changing which means I will not be playing in the U.S.,” he posted. As of now, the U.S. government requires any incoming foreigner to arrive after vaccination.

Djokovic is likely to join the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters scheduled in Monte-Carlo, Monaco, on April 10. Last month, he participated in a tournament held in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, that does not impose mandatory vaccination regulation in place.


hun@donga.com