Before the Miami Open, Novak Djokovic was refused entry to the USA

Novak Djokovic, the top-ranked male tennis player in the world, will miss the ATP Masters 1000 Miami Open in Florida the following week after being refused admission to the United States due to vaccination issues.

The Miami Open's main draw begins on March 22 and runs until April 2.

"We exerted every effort. We made an effort to contact the government, but we have no control over it. James Blake, the director of the Miami Open competition, said on Tennis Channel, "We tried, but he wasn't able to participate.

The same outcome as at Indian Wells, where I know Tommy Haas (a fellow event director) gave it his all. We attempted to get an exception for Novak Djokovic, but it was not successful. He is our biggest champion and has won here six times, so we would like having him. Regrettably, that’s much beyond my pay grade," he continued.

Significantly, until the middle of May, passengers entering the United States by air are still not permitted.

The Serbian great requested a special visa to visit the US this month despite not having received a coronavirus vaccination from American officials.

Even the US Open and the United States Tennis Association supported his application to enter the country, pleading with the authorities to grant the legendary tennis player an exemption.

One of the greatest champions in the history of our sport is Novak Djokovic. According to a tweet from the US Open earlier this month, "The USTA and US Open are hoping that Novak's appeal to enter the nation is successful and that the fans will be able to see him back in action at Indian Wells and Miami.

The 22-time Grand Slam winner skipped the most recent US Open due to immunization issues, and he has since missed numerous other events as well. He withdrew from the current Indian Wells Masters earlier this month after being turned down for the exemption.

Due to his lack of immunizations, the Serb was expelled from Australia last year and was unable to attend the Australian Open.

However in January 2023, he was given permission to go to Melbourne, where he won a record-extending 10th Australian Open victory, matching Rafael Nadal's record of 22 major titles.