Slight chance for Djokovic in Miami Open
There is a slim chance that world’s No. 1 men’s tennis player Novak Djokovic will be allowed to play in the Miami Open later this month, even if he does not get the COVID vaccine.
Djokovic is currently listed as the top seed but unlikely to play because the U.S. COVID travel laws do not allow unvaccinated non-U.S. citizens to enter the country. That rule is expected to be expire on May 11, the day the Biden Administration is scheduled to lift COVID Emergency Declarations, so the Miami Open petitioned for an exemption to allow Djokovic to play.
Djokovic is not vaccinated. The United States is among the countries that have required COVID vaccination without the option of providing a test as an alternative.
“The rules officially change May 11, so we have petitioned for an exemption based on the fact that there doesn’t seem to be any imminent danger with him playing,” said Miami Open tournament director James
Blake. “They are setting it for May 11 and we’re on a timeline. We can’t have the Miami Open after May 11. It’s at the time it is and we’d love to have our
greatest champion there.
“We’ve highlighted the fact that it would be good for the economy, for the Miami community, and for tennis fans all over the world who want to see the greatest player in our game play right now.”
Blake has not heard back. The tournament starts March 19 at Hard Rock Stadium and runs through April 2.
“It’s getting late in the game, so it’s not looking as likely, but we’ve done what we can to try to get an exemption,” Blake said. “We’ll see if it’s effective, but unfortunately, it’s out of our hands. He’s been invited. He’s on the list. We’d love for him to play. He’s won it six times before. We’d love for him to have the opportunity to go for seven. We’ve done what we can.”
Blake added that the tournament at Indian Wells, California, which precedes the Miami Open, also applied for an exemption. He expects to know within the next week whether Djokovic will be allowed to play there.
“If he’s allowed to play there, then we’ll be very prepared for him to be in Miami, as well,” Blake said. “If he’s not, the writing may be on the wall.”
Meanwhile, world No. 8 Rafael Nadal announced Tuesday that he is still rehabbing a hip flexor injury and will skip the upcoming tournaments at Indian Wells and Miami.
“We were expecting that,” Blake said. “I watched him hobble off after the Australian Open and it didn’t look like a guy that was going to be ready to compete for titles again on hard courts in just a few months.
“I wish him the best to be back for the clay court season. We hope to see him back in Miami in 2024.”
Even if Djokovic can’t make it, the Miami Open has an impressive field that includes world No. 2 and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas, No. 4 Casper Ruud, No. 5 Taylor Fritz and No. 6 Andrey Rublev.
On the women’s side, top-ranked Iga Swiatek will be back to defend her 2022 title. Other previous winners in the field include Sloane Stephens (2018) and Victoria Azarenka (2016, 2011, 2009).
Tickets are on sale at www.MiamiOpen.com and start at $18. Singlesession tickets and fulltournament passes are available.
Thiem, Raducanu get Wild Cards
Dominic Thiem and Emma Raducanu, the 2020 and 2021 U.S. Open champions, were granted wild cards into the Miami Open.
Raducanu was named WTA Newcomer of the Year in 2021 after she became the first player to win a major title as a qualifier, doing so without dropping a set in her 10 matches at the U.S. Open. Just 18 at the time, she was the youngest woman to win a Grand Slam event since 17-year-old Maria Sharapova won Wimbledon in 2004.
Thiem won the 2020 U.S. Open and has made three other major finals.
“Raducanu is such an incredible story what she did at the U.S. Open, taking the world by storm like we hadn’t seen since Maria Sharapova winning Wimbledon at such a young age and becoming a media phenomenon,” Blake said.