Tennis pro Novak Djokovic will miss the next important tournament. Because the world number one, who has not been vaccinated against the corona virus, is still not allowed to enter the USA, the 35-year-old Serb will also miss the Miami Open, which starts next week, after the Masters tournament in Indian Wells.

“We tried to get an exemption for Novak Djokovic. But that didn’t work out,” tournament director James Blake said on Friday (local time). “We’ve tried to talk to the government, but it’s out of our hands.”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, among others, had lobbied for an exemption for the 22-time Grand Slam winner. The US Tennis Association (USTA) and the organisers of the US Open had also pledged their support.

Img – Djokovic won the Australian Open in Melbourne in January – AP Photo

Until May 11, the rule in the US is that foreigners need proof of vaccination if they enter by plane.

Djokovic has won the Miami tournament six times. “We are one of the most important tournaments in the world, we want to have the best players who can play. We did everything we could,” Blake said.