Unvaccinated Novak Djokovic’s US ban labelled a ‘disgrace’

The Covid mandate threatening to deny unvaccinated Novak Djokovic another shot at grand slam glory has been torn to shreds.

It would be “a disgrace” to see Novak Djokovic continue to be banned from entering the United States, according to Indian Wells tournament director Tommy Haas who has vowed to lobby to get the Serbian stateside.

Djokovic is set to miss Indian Wells and the Miami Open — two of the biggest events on tour behind the grand slams — after the US upheld its entry requirement for non-US officials to be vaccinated against Covid.

The 21-time slam winner has refused to be vaccinated and was detained in a Melbourne immigration hotel before his Australian visa was famously cancelled on the eve of last year’s Australian Open.

Relaxed entry visa requirements meant he was able to enter Australia to compete at this year’s event.

And Haas — who tipped Djokovic to be back to the top of the world rankings by year’s end — said he wanted to see the mandates lifted.

“If Djokovic stays healthy, I don’t see how he’s not going to be No. 1,” he said.

Novak Djokovic is still unable to enter the US because of his Covid vaccination status. Picture: Riccardo Antimiani/Getty

“Obviously the one problem being that he cannot still come to the US. If he doesn’t play Indian Wells and Miami in March … I think they’re supposed to lift those mandates by mid-April.

“It would be nice to see if we can maybe lift those a bit earlier and have him come to play Indian Wells and Miami.

“I think he wants to play, so we should give him the chance that we hopefully have him there. It would be a disgrace, I think, in my eyes if he wasn’t coming to these events or not allowed to come.

“If he does play all of them, he is favourite to be year-end No.1.”

Haas, who is playing in the Australian Open legends doubles having made three singles semi-finals at Melbourne Park, said his tournament organisers would exhaust all avenues in a bid to get Djokovic to Indian Wells.

“We’re going to try everything we can do on our end, for sure,” he said.

Originally published as Unvaccinated Novak Djokovic’s US ban labelled a ‘disgrace’