Miami Open organizers would love to have Djokovic compete at Masters event

The organizers of the Miami Open are hoping World No.1 Novak Djokovic will be able to compete at the ATP 1000 Masters event in March this year.

Djokovic was embroiled in a visa controversy in Australia that ended with the Serbian being deported from the country just a day before he was scheduled to defend his title. Nonetheless, Miami Open director James Blake has stated he would love to have the 20-time Grand Slam champion play at their local torunament.

“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?”

Djokovic has won six titles at the event, with his last trophy coming in 2016. The Serbian is scheduled to return to action in Dubai at the end of February, with the Miami Open set to run from March 21-28.