Novak Djokovic seeks entry to the U.S. despite being unvaccinated

Novak Djokovic, the world's top-ranked men's tennis player, is seeking special permission to enter the United States to play in Indian Wells and Miami tournaments. Djokovic has not played in the US since losing in the 2021 US Open final. However, as an unvaccinated individual, he is currently prohibited from entering the country. In a statement made at his training ground in Belgrade, Djokovic expressed his desire to play in the US tournaments and thanked the tournament organizers and communities for their public support. Djokovic's unvaccinated status has affected his ability to compete for over 15 months, and he was deported from Australia in January 2022 before the Australian Open due to his decision to remain unvaccinated. The US does not allow unvaccinated international visitors to enter the country, and Djokovic was therefore unable to compete in the 2022 US Open. Although Australia has relaxed its vaccination restrictions on international travelers, the US still requires vaccines for international visitors. Djokovic, who won his 10th Australian Open trophy after defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final last month, plans to play in the Dubai Championships next week while waiting for a response from American authorities. According to the Associated Press, the Transportation Safety Administration does not intend to change the vaccine requirement for international travelers until at least April. Djokovic stated that he hopes to receive special permission to participate in the upcoming tournaments and expressed his gratitude for the support he has received from the tennis community.