Although tennis star Novak Djokovic has received approval to play in the 2023 Australian Open, he will likely have to miss at least a pair of tournaments in the United States.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration released a statement saying that it will require foreign air travelers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 until April 10.
Due to his unvaccinated status, Djokovic would be unable to play in the BNP Paribas Open, which runs from Mar. 6-19 in Indian Wells, Calif. Djokovic would also be forced to miss the Miami Open, which is slated to run from Mar. 19-Apr. 2.
Due to the U.S. vaccine requirements for foreign travelers, Djokovic could not fly into New York for the 2022 U.S. Open. Djokovic did get to play in the 2022 French Open and Wimbledon last year.
Djokovic has already gotten some good news about this year’s Australian Open. The country will grant him a visa to play in the tournament, which begins on Jan. 16. In an Instagram post, Djokovic said he was excited to return after missing the Australian Open — a tournament he’s won a record nine times — last year.
“I was very happy to receive the news yesterday,” Djokovic said. “It was a relief, obviously, knowing what I and the people closest to me in my life have been through this year with what happened in Australia and post-Australia. Australian Open has been my most successful Grand Slam. I made some of the best memories there. Of course, I want to go back there, I want to play tennis, do what I do best, hopefully have a great Australian summer.”
