Novak Djokovic, the world’s number one tennis champion, has been barred from participating in the tournament due to a lack of Covid-19 vaccination and the failure to obtain a waiver to enter the United States.
The tournament officials attempted to help Djokovic obtain the waiver, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
The 35-year-old tennis champion will miss the Miami Open, which begins March 22. Djokovic has won the Miami Open six times, three of those consecutively. The latest win came in 2016.
This marks the second time Djokovic has been unable to participate in a tournament this year, following his absence from the Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells, California.
Djokovic, who has missed other events due to his vaccination status, was allowed to participate in the Australian Open earlier this year, winning his 22nd Grand Slam title.
The tournament director, James Blake, expressed his disappointment at not having Djokovic, saying that they exhausted all possible options to help him enter the country.
His absence is expected to be short-lived as the US authorities are expected to ease vaccination entry requirements in May, allowing him to participate in upcoming tournaments.
It has been two years since Djokovic last played in Miami, having exited in the fourth round of the tournament in 2019.
