Novak Djokovic.Photo: Sarah Stier/Getty
Novak Djokovichas withdrawn from yet another tennis tournament due to his vaccination status.
On Wednesday, the Serbian tennis star, 34, announced that he would not compete in the 2022 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California — which began Monday — or the Miami Open, set to begin March 21.
“While I was automatically listed in the @BNPPARIBASOPEN and @MiamiOpen draw I knew it would be unlikely I’d be able to travel. The CDC has confirmed that regulations won’t be changing so I won’t be able to play in the US,” he announced on Twitter.
He added on his Instagram Story, “As international COVID regulations are always being amended, I wanted to wait and see if anything would change. The CDC confirmed today that regulations are not changing which means I will not be playing in the US. I know my fans are looking forward to seeing me play again and I hope to be back playing for them on the tour soon. Good luck to those playing in these great tournaments 👊”
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The 20-time Grand Slam champion received a COVID-19 vaccine medical exemption to play in the Australian Open, but was later forced toleave the countryafter Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke canceled his visa.
Hawke said in astatementat the time that he was canceling Djokovic’s visa “on health and good order grounds, on the basis that it was in the public interest to do so.” He assured that the government is “firmly committed to protecting Australia’s borders, particularly in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
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“[A] price that I am willing to pay,” Djokovic told the outlet. “I understand the consequences of my decision. I understand that not being vaccinated today, you know, I am unable to travel to most of the tournaments at the moment.”
Djokovic added that, though he is not opposed to vaccines, having “the freedom to choose what you put into your body” is more important than winning any titles for the sport.
“I am trying to be in tune with my body as much as I possibly can,” he said to BBC at the time, noting that he’s very mindful of what he ingests. “Based on all the information that I got, I decided not to take the vaccine, as of today.”
source: people.com
