CNN
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World number one Novak Djokovic is hopeful of “a positive outcome” in the US tennis tournament ahead of next month’s Indian Wells and Miami Open after applying for special permission to play there.
The United States still requires international visitors to be vaccinated against Covid-19, and the Serbian, who has previously confirmed he remains unvaccinated, has now applied for special permission to enter the country ahead of both the March 6 and the March tournament. 20 respectively.
“Look, last year I missed Indian Wells, Miami and all the US Open swings,” 22-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic told reporters in Belgrade on Wednesday.
“So if this happens, it won’t be the first time. I mean, I hope it doesn’t, but it’s what I can do. All I can do at this point is hope because, you know, my position remains the same. I have nothing to do but wish for a positive outcome,” he said.
Looking ahead to the US Open Grand Slam at the end of August, the 35-year-old said: “Well, (the US Open) is still a long way away, you know, it’s six months away. So I, I hope I’ll be able to be there. I can’t really give you any additional answers. As you know, the US Open is one of the four biggest events in the history of our game. So, of course, I want to be there.
“(I) had the most beautiful reception and support from the New York and American crowd during the 2021 final, which I unfortunately lost to. [Daniil] Medvedev. But I felt something that I never felt in New York, so I really want to go back and connect with more people and, hopefully, play the best tennis and finally get another trophy there,” said the 22-time Grand Slam champion. .
Asked if the controversy surrounding his Covid-19 vaccine stance had affected his tennis, Djokovic replied, “Well, I think (that) the recent results in Australia show that it doesn’t affect my tennis too much.”
Djokovic returned to world number one after winning a record 10th Australian Open last month. It was his 22nd major title, tying him with Rafael Nadal for the most Grand Slam singles titles in men’s tennis history.
This week, the 35-year-old achieved another milestone in her illustrious tennis career, equaling Steffi Graf’s record for most weeks as world number one.
Djokovic already holds the record for most weeks as men’s world No. 1, surpassing Roger Federer’s mark of 310 weeks in March 2021, and on Monday, he began his 377th week at the top, equaling German great Graf.
She next takes to the court at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship, which starts on February 27.