Novak Djokovic will be able to play the US Open, but not Indian Wells or Miami

Novak Djokovic can rejoice. Two days after his new triumph at the Australian Open, the man who has been world number one since Monday learned good news on Tuesday. The US government has announced that it will lift the ban on entering its territory for people not vaccinated against Covid-19 as of May 11. A happy consequence for the “Djoker”, nothing stands in the way of his being able to take part in the US Open this summer.

In 2022, the Serb had not been able to take part in any tournament played in North America. He had thus missed the US Open, but also the four Masters 1000 organized in Indian Wells, Miami, Toronto and Cincinnati. This time, he will not only be able to participate in the last Grand Slam of the season at Flushing Meadows, but also in the two main preparation tournaments, in Canada and in Ohio.

The US has failed him since 2018

On the other hand, we will therefore not see it during the first two Masters 1000 of the calendar, in the Californian desert and in Florida, which are held in March, before the lifting of these restrictions by the American federal government. Indian Wells tournament director Tommy Haas was hoping for a rule change this winter.

“It would be a shame in my eyes if he didn’t come to these tournaments or wasn’t allowed to come, had pleaded the German two weeks ago. It would be nice if we could waive those obligations a little earlier so he could come and play Indian Wells and Miami. I think he wants to play, so we should give him a chanceHe was not heard and will therefore again be deprived of the main headliner of the circuit, but also of Rafael Nadal, injured, and whose return is scheduled for April on European clay.

But for Novak Djokovic, the main thing is to have a free mind in view of the US Open. A tournament which, in recent years, has not been very successful for him since his last title in New York in 2018: an abandonment in 2019 against Stan Wawrinka in the round of 16, an exclusion in 2020 at the same stage of the competition against Pablo Carreño Busta , a painful defeat in the final the following year against Daniil Medvedev while playing for the Grand Slam, before his inability to play last year. In 2023, will Djokovic come again for a possible Grand Slam?