Novak Djokovic denied COVID-19 vaccine exemption and will not compete in Miami Open

World No. The 1st-place male tennis player will not be able to compete in the Miami Open next week due to his COVID-19 vaccine status

Novak Djokovic, recent winner 22nd Grand Slam According to Miami Open tournament director James Blake, he was denied permission to enter the United States.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia argues with the referee on a chair during his second round match against Enzo Cuco of France at the Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia on Thursday, January 1.  19, 2023.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia argues with the referee on a chair during his second round match against Enzo Cuco of France at the Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia on Thursday, January 1. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

“Obviously we’re running one of the premier tournaments in the world and we’d love to see the best players that can play in it,” Blake told the Tennis Channel on Friday. “We did everything we could. We tried to talk to the government, but it’s beyond our power. We tried, but he couldn’t play.

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“Same result as in Indian Wellswhere do i know tommy haas [Indian Wells tournament director] did what he could. We tried to get Novak Djokovic expelled, but that didn’t happen.”

In February, Djokovic applied for a special permit to enter the United States to play tournaments due to be unvaccinated against COVID-19.

The US currently requires all non-US citizens to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to enter the country by air.

Serbian Novak Djokovic reacts to a match against Poland's Hubert Hurkach (pictured) during the Dubai Tennis Championships on March 2, 2023.

Serbian Novak Djokovic reacts to a match against Poland’s Hubert Hurkach (pictured) during the Dubai Tennis Championships on March 2, 2023. (KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images)

In recent weeks, politicians have pushed for Djokovic to enter the country.

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In a letter received by Fox News Digital, the Governor of Florida. Ron DeSantis urged President Biden to “put aside the politics of the pandemic and give the American people what they want – let them play.” DeSantis wrote that Djokovic’s refusal to enter the US is unfair, unscientific and unacceptable.”

The Miami Open will run from March 20-April 2, while the Indian Wells tournament is scheduled for March 6-19.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia competes against Hubert Gurkacz of Poland (not shown) during the men's singles quarterfinal match of the Dubai Duty Free Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates March 2, 2023.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia competes against Hubert Gurkacz of Poland (not shown) during the men’s singles quarterfinal match of the Dubai Duty Free Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates March 2, 2023. (Walid Zein/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

In January, Indian Wells tournament director Tommy Haas said it would be a “shame” if Djokovic could not compete in the US due to his vaccination status.

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“Obviously the only problem is that he still can’t come to the US. If he doesn’t play Indian Wells and Miami in March (it will be tough), they should cancel those mandates by mid-April,” Haas said. reporters

“It would be nice to see if we can pick them up a little earlier and he will come to play in Indian Wells and Miami. I think he wants to play so we should give him a chance. I hope we can invite him there.” he continued.

“I mean, it would be a shame in my eyes if he didn’t come to these events or if he wasn’t allowed to come.”

Ryan Gaidos of Fox News contributed to this report.