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TOPLINE Florida’s senators asked President Joe Biden to approve a waiver Friday to allow Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic—who cannot enter the country because he is unvaccinated against Covid-19 —to make an exception to national rules and allow Djokovic play in the Miami Open later this month.Djokovic made headlines early in the pandemic after he said he was not vaccinated. Since then, he has had Covid twice and has missed a number of tennis tournaments due to his vaccination status, including last year when he was deported ahead of the Australian Open. After his deportation, Djokovic told the BBC he wanted tournaments to change their requirements, but also said he was willing to forego potential future tournament wins, saying it was “the price I’m willing to pay.” On Monday, Djokovic surpassed Steffi Graf’s record for most weeks by a men’s or women’s tennis player as World No. 1.
Djokovic requested a waiver to play at the Indian Wells tournament in California later this month, according to the New York Times. In the next week, Blake told the Herald, Djokovic should know if he can play that tournament, setting a precedent for what happens in Miami next month.
