Miami Masters tournament director gives hopes of Novak Djokovic’s participation with exemption comment
Miami Open tournament director says that Novak Djokovic stands a small chance of indeed playing the Sunshine Double this year.
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The Miami Open is imminent, as the event will happen on March 19. Along with the Indian Wells, both tournaments make up the Sunshine Double. Reportedly, Novak Djokovic will must possibly not compete in Miami. Recently, Rafael Nadal also pulled out of both ATP Tour titles, because of his hip injury. The Spaniard suffered from a muscle pull while competing in the 2023 Australian Open.
The Miami Open tournament director recently commented in an interview that Djokovic’s participation seems unlikely. Novak is hoping for an exemption, after applying for entry into the US. The World No.1 has been a six-time champion in Miami. Djokovic looks forward to receiving a chance to win once again.
According to James Blake, the director of the ATP 1000 event, Djokovic is the ‘greatest champion’ in Miami. He hopes to include Novak in the draw, as it would be beneficial to the tournament. He said, “We’d love to have our greatest champion there. We’ve highlighted the fact that it would be good for the economy, for the Miami community, and for tennis fans who want to see the greatest player in our game, play right now.”
The rules officially change May 11, so we have petitioned for an exemption based on the fact that there doesn’t seem to be any imminent danger with him playing,” said the director. Furthermore, Blake explained said that they have tried their best to give Djokovic an exemption.
He also added that they would ‘love’ for him to play. Nevertheless, the matter is out of his hands, despite the high demand to see the Serbian in action. “It’s getting late in the game, so it’s not looking as likely, but we’ve done what we can to try to get an exemption,” Blake said. “We’d love for him to have the opportunity to go for seven. We’ve done what we can.”
Rafael Nadal’s withdrawal amidst Novak Djokovic’s uncertainty is big blow for Miami Masters
The Sunshine Double will be without two of the biggest stars this year if Novak Djokovic isn’t allowed. While the Serbian’s fate resides in hands of the feds, Rafael Nadal’s injury in Melbourne earlier this year meant he is forced to miss the first two Masters-1000 events of the season.
“We were expecting that. I watched him hobble off after the Australian Open, and it didn’t look like a guy that was going to be ready to compete for titles again on hard courts in just a few months. I wish him the best to be back for the clay court season. We hope to see him back in Miami in 2024,” said Blake about the King of Clay.
In additional news, Djokovic has also applied for an exemption for the Indian Wells tournament in California. The tournament will begin next week. However, the Serb’s chances seem small. The US COVID-19 policy will not be implemented before May. Hence, Djokovic’s desire to compete in the Sunshine Double is minuscule.
With regards to Indian Wells, James Blake added, “If he’s allowed to play there, then we’ll be very prepared for him to be in Miami, as well. If he’s not, the writing may be on the wall.” The callback for the application is expected to come as soon as possible, according to him. Novak has won the Indian Wells title five times, which the player will want to increase to six.
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Tanisha Mohanty
(172 Articles Published)