(Miami) World number 1 Novak Djokovic withdrew from the Miami Open due to his vaccination status on Saturday.
The Serb cannot yet enter American soil, being a foreign citizen who is not vaccinated against COVID-19.
The tournament will start on Wednesday. The 35-year-old has won the event six times, most recently in 2016.
Crowned 22 times in Grand Slams, he is at an impasse in this chapter with Rafael Nadal, who is injured and who will not be in Miami either.
Djokovic is 15-1 this year, including titles in Melbourne and Adelaide.
For the same reason that keeps him out of Florida, he had to pull out of the Indian Wells tournament in California, which ends this weekend.
Last year, Djokovic was absent in Indian Wells, Miami and New York, among others.
In January 2022, he tried to get an exemption to play the Australian Open and traveled to Melbourne.
But after his case went to court, his visa was revoked and Djokovic was expelled from the country.
Pandemic restrictions were eased in Australia and Djokovic returned this year, winning the first major championship of the season.
Nadal has been sidelined since injuring his left hip in a second-round defeat at Melbourne Park.
He aims to return to action in April, in Monte-Carlo.
