Tennis Star Novak Djokovic Denied Entry to US for BNP Paribas Open
Tennis star Novak Djokovic has been denied entry into the United States to play in the upcoming BNP Paribas Open. The Homeland Security Department denied Djokovic’s vaccine waiver request as he is unvaccinated.
Following this decision, the 22-time Grand Slam winner withdrew from the ATP-WTA joint tournament scheduled to commence on Wednesday at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in California. Djokovic, from Serbia, is currently ranked as the world No. 1 tennis player by the Association of Tennis Professionals.
The event includes matches in both California and Miami, Florida. The tournament runs from March 9th to March 19th. Djokovic’s absence is significant for tennis fans worldwide as he is widely considered one of the best players in the world.
His latest professional appearance saw him lose in the semifinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships to Russia’s Daniil Medvedev, who went on to win the championship.
Some Republican senators, including Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, are calling for the elimination of Biden’s vaccine mandate and standing up for Djokovic.
They are urging Congress to grant Djokovic a waiver to allow him to compete in the Miami Open professional tennis tournament in Florida. The senators argue that if the pandemic is really over, as President Biden has stated, then there is no reason for the vaccine mandate.
Djokovic is a world-class athlete who is in peak physical condition and not at high risk of severe complications from COVID-19. It seems illogical and misaligned with the opinions of the administration to not grant him the waiver he requests so that he may travel to the U.S. to compete in a professional event.
It remains to be seen whether Djokovic will receive a waiver and be able to participate in the Miami Open. Tennis fans around the world will be eagerly waiting to see if Djokovic can compete and add to his impressive list of accomplishments.
