Novak Djokovic's coach Goran Ivanisevic says the world No. 1 has not given up on Miami Open entry this month
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ByEurosport
Updated 09/03/2023 at 15:47 GMT
Novak Djokovic has not been allowed to enter the USA to compete at Indian Wells this year due to not being vaccinated for Covid. However, his coach Goran Ivanisevic maintains the belief that Djokovic could still play at the Miami Open later this month. Ivanisevic has also stated that the next big goal for Djokovic is to compete at the French Open in Paris in the spring.
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Novak Djokovic's coach Goran Ivanisevic says the world No. 1 could still play at the Miami Open later this month.
Djokovic was forced to withdraw from Indian Wells on Monday after it was revealed that he would be unable to play in the USA due to his vaccination status. It is also likely that the 35-year-old will have to withdraw from the Miami Open despite being named in the draw.
The United States Tennis Association and the US Open said last week they were "hopeful" he would be allowed to play Indian Wells and the Miami Open.
Ivanisevic says the 22-time Grand Slam champion would like to compete at the Florida tournament, but it would not be "the end of the world" if he is unable to.
"We haven’t given up," Ivanisevic, who has been Djokovic's coach since 2019, told Tennis Majors.
"He wants to play and I would love it if they allow him – it would be great both for him and for tennis. If not, it’s not the end of the world, he didn’t play last year as well.
"The most important thing is that we find out soon, so that we can make a plan.
"Although, in terms of preparing for the European clay court season, I’m not sure playing in Miami is the best solution. It depends on Novak – in the past he has triumphed in Monte Carlo having played in Indian Wells and Miami.
"If he is mentally ready and in his fighter mode, like he was in Australia, then anything is possible."
Ivanisevic says the main focus for Djokovic now is the clay court season and the French Open which gets underway on May 28.
The Croat believes Djokovic could beat his great rival and 14-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal on his favoured surface if he is mentally prepared for the fight.
He said: "First of all, nothing is comparable to last year, a year no ordinary human being would 'survive'.
"After everything that happened in Australia, he was sick and stuck to his bed for 10 days before the clay court season.
"In Monte Carlo, he could barely breathe, it was a bit better in Belgrade, and then he started to play better – Madrid, Rome, all the way to the Roland Garros quarter-final [against Nadal]. To be honest, I still don’t know what happened there, I still find that match a bit odd.
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"Novak just wasn’t mentally ready to fight [Rafael] Nadal, who was the better player and deserved to win.
"So this year, the most important thing is to stay healthy and to prepare really well physically.
"Of course, our main focus is Roland Garros, he needs to be ready to give it his all there.
"He can do it. Nadal is the favourite on clay as long as he can walk, but if Novak is mentally up for it, he can beat anyone."
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