Novak Djokovic schedule: After missing Miami Open, where will he play next? Will he play French and US Open?
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ByEurosport
Updated 22/03/2023 at 16:51 GMT
Novak Djokovic will not play at the Miami Open after also missing Indian Wells. The 22-time Grand Slam champion is currently unable to travel to the United States as he is unvaccinated. But when will Djokovic return to the court? Will he play at the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open? Will he miss any more tournaments this year and when can he travel to the United States?
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Novak Djokovic will not be in action at this week’s Miami Open – but when will he play next and will he play at the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open?
Djokovic is unable to play Miami as he is unvaccinated so can’t travel to the United States under current entry laws for international travellers.
He also missed Indian Wells earlier this month and saw Carlos Alcaraz replace him as world No. 1 after winning the title.
So what’s next for Djokovic and will he miss any other tournaments this year due to his vaccination status?
Why is Djokovic not playing the Miami Open?
Djokovic is missing the Miami Open, which is the second ATP Masters 1000 event of the season after Indian Wells, as he was denied entry to the United States.
Djokovic reportedly applied for special permission to enter the country as he is not vaccinated against Covid-19, but was denied an exemption. Current US rules state international visitors need to show proof of vaccination to enter the country.
“Obviously, we're one of the premier tournaments in the world, we'd like to have the best players that can play,” said Miami Open tournament director James Blake.
“We did all that we could. We tried to talk to the government, but that's out of our hands. We tried, and he wasn't able to play. We tried to get Novak Djokovic to be allowed to get an exemption, but that wasn't able to happen.”
“Hopefully, he will be back next year and all of the later events in the States, including Cincinnati and the US Open.”
When will Djokovic play next?
Djokovic is set to return to the court at the Monte Carlo Masters, which starts on April 9 and is the curtain-raiser for the European clay season.
Djokovic is a two-time champion in Monte Carlo but it has not been a very successful tournament for him in recent years. The 22-time Grand Slam champion has won just four matches in his last four appearances in Monte Carlo, and last year was bounced out in his opener by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
In 2022, he entered Monte Carlo having not played for six weeks as he also missed Indian Wells and the Miami Open. He will be doing similar this year as his last match was on March 3 against Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals in Dubai.
Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz are also on the entry list for Monte Carlo.
Nadal hasn’t played since losing in the second round of the Australian Open and is currently recovering from injury.
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What is Djokovic's clay schedule?
After Monte Carlo, Djokovic will play the Srpska Open in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is being held in place of the Serbia Open due to renovation at the Novak Tennis Centre in Belgrade.
Then Djokovic will likely compete at the Madrid Open and Italian Open before the French Open, which starts on May 28.
Djokovic's potential clay schedule
- Monte Carlo Masters: April 9
- Srpska Open: April 17
- Madrid Open: April 26
- Italian Open: May 10
- French Open: May 28
Will Djokovic play the French Open?
As it stands, Djokovic can play at the French Open, which is the second Grand Slam of the tennis season.
There are currently no restrictions that would prevent him travelling to France and that is not expected to change.
Djokovic is a two-time champion in Paris and, along with Nadal, will be bidding for a 23rd Grand Slam title. Djokovic was beaten by Nadal in the quarter-finals last year.
Will Djokovic play Wimbledon?
As with the French Open, there are currently no restrictions that would prevent Djokovic playing at Wimbledon.
Djokovic is a seven-time winner of the Grand Slam and will be the defending champion after beating Nick Kyrgios in last year's final.
Will Djokovic play the US Open?
Djokovic has not played in North America since losing the 2021 US Open final, as he came one match away from achieving the calendar Grand Slam.
He missed the Western & Southern Open, Canadian Open and the US Open last year, but looks set to return this summer.
The US policy which requires foreign travellers to be vaccinated is expected to be lifted in May.
“I really want to be playing there, want to be there,” Djokovic told CNN about this year’s US Open.
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Novak Djokovic lost to Daniil Medvedev in the 2021 US Open final
Image credit: Getty Images
“I actually had in 2021, when I lost in the finals against Medvedev, probably one of the best moments I ever had with the New York crowd. I’ve been fortunate to win that tournament three times, play many finals.
"Even though I lost that match, I received a lot of love and appreciation from people and I want to go back and I want to reconnect with the crowd there. So that’s something I’m looking forward to and hopefully it will happen.”
Djokovic added that he has “no regrets” over his vaccination decision, which he said in early 2022 is due to him wanting to have “freedom to choose what you put in your body”.
“I’ve learned through life that regrets only hold you back and basically make you live in the past. I don’t want to do that. I also don’t want to live too much in the future. I want to be as much as in the present moment, but of course, think about the future, create a better future.”
What tournaments has Djokovic missed?
Djokovic has so far missed two Grand Slams and six ATP Masters 1000 events due to being unvaccinated.
He couldn’t play the Australian Open or the US Open in 2022, and also missed four big tournaments in North America - Indian Wells, the Miami Open, Canadian Open, and Western & Southern Open.
This year, he has been unable to play Indian Wells and the Miami Open. However, it looks like this could be the last time that Djokovic misses tournaments due to his vaccination status.
The United States is the only country on the ATP Tour that requires international travellers to be vaccinated, so once that changes Djokovic will be able to play a full schedule again.
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