Novak Djokovic has confirmed that the Monte Carlo Masters is very likely to be his next tournament should he not be allowed to compete at the Masters events in Indian Wells and Miami. On Friday, Florida Senator Rick Scott tweeted that Djokovic’s request for special permission to enter the United States has been denied.
🚨 BREAKING: We have been told that @DHSgov just denied @DjokerNolevaccine waiver request making him ineligible to compete in the US next week in CA and in the @MiamiOpen. @JoeBiden you should fix this NOW, grant the waiver and allow him to race here in the states.
—Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) March 3, 2023
Djokovic, who has not been vaccinated against COVID-19, cannot enter the United States as an unvaccinated foreigner. Last month, Djokovic revealed that he had applied to the US authorities for special permission to enter the country.
«If there’s no America, I guess I’ll play clay. Monte Carlo is probably the next tournament. If that’s the case, I’ll take some time off, prepare. Clay, as we’ve said, is the most demanding surface. It takes longer than any other surface to prepare,» Djokovic said.
Without Djokovic in Indian Wells
Djokovic, 35, is a five-time champion at Indian Wells. Djokovic’s last Indian Wells appearance was in 2019, when he suffered an upset loss to Philipp Kohlschreiber. Last week, Djokovic was unable to come to Indian Wells due to his vaccination stance.
Earlier this year, Indian Wells tournament director Tommy Haas said «it would be a shame» if Djokovic missed the Masters event in the desert again. «Obviously, the only problem is that he can’t come to the US yet.
If he doesn’t play Indian Wells and Miami in March (it’s going to be tough), they’re supposed to lift those mandates in mid-April. It would be nice to see if we could maybe lift that up a little earlier and have him come play in Indian Wells and Miami.
I think he wants to play, so we should give him the chance. Hopefully, we can have it there. I mean, it would be a shame in my eyes if he didn’t attend these events, or if he wasn’t allowed to attend,» Haas said in January.
