The 22-time Grand Slam champion then withdrew from the combined ATP-WTA event, which begins Wednesday at Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California.
The event includes games in California and Miami, Florida. Se runs through March 19.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC ASKS PERMISSION TO ENTER TOURNAMENTS BY VACCINE STATUS: ‘NOT IN MY HANDS’
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic returns the ball to Daniil Medvedev in their semifinal match at the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Friday, March 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)
Serbia’s Djokovic is lately ranked No. 1 in the world through the Association of Tennis Professionals.
In Djokovic’s last appearance, he lost in the semifinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships to 27-year-old Russian Daniil Medvedev.
Medvedev then beat compatriot Andrey Rublev, 25, in the final.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia shakes hands with Daniil Medvedev after beating him on the thirteenth day of Dubai Duty Free Tennis at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium on March 3, 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Amin Mohammad Jamali/Getty Images)
FLORIDA LEGISLATURES URGED PRESIDENT BIDEN TO GRANT NOVAK DJOKOVIC AN EXEMPTION FROM PLAYING IN THE UNITED STATES DESPITE VACCINE STATUS
The senses. Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, both Florida Republicans, expressed support for the Serbian tennis star and called on Congress to act to eliminate President Biden’s “fake vaccine mandate. “
“It has come to our attention that your management won a request for exemption from the existing vaccination mandate for foreign travelers entering the United States from the outstanding male tennis player Novak Djokovic. We are writing to urge you to grant the requested waiver, which is to allow Mr. Djokovic to participate in the Miami Open professional tennis tournament to be held in our home state of Florida beginning March 19, 2023,” the Republicans said in a joint letter.
Russia’s Daniil Medvedev celebrates his victory at the end of the men’s quarterfinals of the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on March 3, 2023. (Waleed Zein/Anadolu Agency Getty Images)
In the letter, Florida lawmakers even reminded Biden that in the past he had said the pandemic was “over. “
“In September 2022, you obviously told a citizen on 60 Minutes that ‘the [COVID-19] pandemic is over,’ and earlier this year, Dr. Anthony Fauci published a professional paper acknowledging the limited effectiveness of vaccines in protecting rather than breathing. pathogens, such as the novel coronavirus,” the senators continued. In light of the conversion cases and admissions of you and members of your own administration, the existing restrictive vaccination mandate you have maintained for foreign travelers entering the United States seems outdated and valuable. “rescinding. “
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Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts after his loss to Daniil Medvedev on matchday 13 of Dubai Duty Free Tennis at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium on March 3, 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Amin Mohammad Jamali/Getty Images)
They added: “Mr. Djokovic is a world-class athlete in the most sensible physical form who does not measure up to the threat of severe COVID-19 headaches. It is illogical and misaligned with the perspectives of his own management not to grant him the resignation he is seeking to be able to travel to the United States to participate in a professional event. “
COVID-19 emergency declarations in the U. S. They will expire in May.
Djokovic competed at the US Open last year because of his prestige in the COVID vaccine and has made public his resolve to get vaccinated.
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Georgian tennis player Nikoloz Basilashvili entered the Indian Wells draw after Djokovic retired.
The Associated Press contributed to this report