Following a world-publicized drama surrounding the 2022 Australian Open, James Blake, the Miami Open tournament director is hopeful that Novak Djokovic will play.
There has been a lot of buzz around Djokovic this year especially due to his visa saga in Australia. It ended in the Australian government deporting him citing public health reasons.
As a result, he was unable to defend his Australian Open title at Melbourne Park, but he will play again in the Dubai Tennis Championships at the end of February.
Novak Djokovic Invited to Miami Open
Blake hopes that the 20-time Grand Slam champion will add the ATP Masters 1000 event in Miami to his schedule, which will run from March 21-28.
There are seven titles up for grabs for the Serbian should he return to the American event, with the previous one being in 2016.
The Miami Open director said that they would love to have Djokovic at the tournament after the Australia saga.
James Blake. Photo/Sky Sports
“We’d love to have him, he’s one of the greatest champions we’ve ever had in the sport,” Blake told the Miami Herald.
“I believe he will go down as the greatest champion. He still got quite a few more years of being at or near the top of the game. It’s a matter of him figuring out how to navigate this time, the protocols, what’s safe, what isn’t safe?”
In the lead-up to the Australian Open, Blake has also poked fun at the events that transpired in Australia.
According to reports, the American said that the matter had been “poorly managed on all fronts”.
Why Was Novak Djokovic Deported From Australia?
Speaking of his exit from the tournament, Djokovic said that he was extremely disappointed with the court’s decision to dismiss his application for judicial review of Australia’s decision to cancel his visa.
Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke cancelled his visa in mid-January days after the court reinstated it and ordered him to be freed from detention.
The world No.1 said that he was unhappy with the attention of the past few weeks being focused on him.
The visa cancellation was upheld unanimously by a three-judge panel more than 12 days after his arrival to Melbourne, Australia.
Scott Morrison, the Prime Minister of Australia, expressed his delight with the decision, saying it will help “keep our borders strong and Australians safe.”
Morrison said that officials from the Australian Open will step up security in order to prevent any potential anti-vax protests at Melbourne Park.
WHEN DID NOVAK DJOKOVIC CONTROVERSY BEGIN?
The controversy surrounding Djokovic’s vaccination status began when his visa was cancelled after his arrival in Australia for the first time in early January.
Following a six-hour standoff at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport, the 20-time Grand Slam champion was issued his marching orders by Border Officials.
His attorneys said he flew to Australia after being granted a COVID-19 exemption. This made him eligible to compete in the tournament before his visa was abruptly revoked.
Djokovic was detained at a government-operated hotel, despite his pleas to be moved to a more luxurious location with a tennis court. His plea to have his private chef prepare vegan meals was denied by Border officials.
His legal team moved to court and Judge Antony Keller reinstated his visa and ordered he be freed.
However, Keller said the final say was with Hawke who said that his office scrutinized the issue sufficiently before cancelling Djokovic’s visa.
Djina Djokovic, the mother of the 34-year-old Serbian tennis player, claimed that her son was being treated “like a prisoner” during his two-week stay in an asylum seeker motel.
Novak Djokovic three-year Australian Open ban. Photo/Axios
Tennis Australia Welcomes Novak Djokovic in 2023
Just recently, Tennis Australia boss and Australian Open director Craig Tiley said Djokovic could play next year in the tournament.
Tiley also rubbished claims that Novak Djokovic will sue Tennis Australia following his deportation a fortnight ago. When Tiley was questioned by ABC TV if Tennis Australia was being sued, he said “I don’t think so.”
“No. I mean there is going to be lots of reports on different things but we are in a position where we are focused on delivering an event right now and we will continue to deliver a great event,” Tiley stated.
Talking about a three-year ban slapped on Djokovic following his saga with Australian Border Officials, Tiley said Djokovic could possibly compete next year.
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