'Disgrace' threatening to stop Djokovic redemption

1 year ago 54

Tennis fable Tommy Haas has implored the United States to assistance its vaccination mandates, saying it would beryllium a "disgrace" if Novak Djokovic is forced to miss much tournaments successful the country.

Djokovic, who remains unvaccinated, sat retired of past year's US Open arsenic good arsenic the Indian Wells Masters, the Miami Open, the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Masters arsenic a effect of the United States' mandates.

The nine-time Australian Open champion has enjoyed a amended 2023 truthful far, with Australia reversing its determination from 12 months agone to let him to compete.

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Haas, the tourney manager astatine Indian Wells, said helium hopes the United States follows suit, tipping Djokovic to extremity the twelvemonth arsenic the satellite No.1.

"If Djokovic stays healthy, I don't spot however he's not going to beryllium No.1," helium said.

"Obviously the 1 occupation being that helium inactive cannot travel to the US. If helium doesn't play Indian Wells and Miami successful March (it volition beryllium tough), they're expected to assistance those mandates by mid-April.

"It would beryllium bully to spot if we could possibly assistance those a small earlier and person him travel to play Indian Wells and Miami.

"I deliberation helium wants to play, truthful we should springiness him the chance. Hopefully we tin person him there. I mean, it would beryllium a disgrace successful my eyes if helium wasn't coming to these events, oregon not allowed to come."

Haas said helium and those successful complaint of Indian Wells volition bash "everything we tin bash connected our end" successful presumption of lobbying to assistance Djokovic's chances of playing successful the tournament.

The three-time Australian Open semi-finalist besides said helium was successful Melbourne to larn what Indian Wells could emulate from the the archetypal expansive slam of the calendar year.

"I'm evidently precise funny to spot each the things that request to beryllium successful spot successful bid to invited the fans, the players and the sponsors," helium said.

"It (Indian Wells) is specified a large event, it's the champion 1000 connected some the men's and women's broadside truthful we truly effort to spell retired of our mode to marque definite everybody is ever invited and feels large and wants to travel back.

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"There's ever a batch of small things that spell into it. We're ever trying to marque immoderate changes, truthful it's bully for maine to beryllium present and to spot what Craig Tiley and the full Tennis Australia squad does present due to the fact that they bash a tremendous job. That's what we're each about.

"We privation to marque definite everyone has a large experience, whether you're sitting connected centre tribunal oregon rolling astir connected the site."

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