Novak Djokovic to miss Miami Open due to COVID vaccination status, tournament says

Tennis champion Novak Djokovic is set to miss his second U.S. tennis tournament this year, after he was denied entry into the country for being unvaccinated against COVID-19.

The 35-year-old Djokovic will miss the Miami Open, which begins March 22, tournament director James Blake confirmed to the Tennis Channel on Friday. Djokovic has won the Miami Open six times — three of those consecutively. The latest win came in 2016. 

Blake said tournament organizers spoke with federal officials and tried their best to get an exception to the U.S. policy, which restricts unvaccinated international travelers from entering the U.S.