Djokovic responds to Indian Wells and Miami ban due to being unvaccinated: "I mean what can I do? Nothing"

As Novak Djokovic was preparing for the Australian Open in Adelaide, news came down about the US extending the vaccination requirement for entry into the country.

The decision doesn't come as a surprise as it was widely expected due to the recent surge in cases in the US. Even more importantly the number of cases in countries like China skyrocketed as well prompting the US to 'protect' its borders with this decision. The extension of the decision means that Djokovic will once again miss both Indian Wells and Miami because of it.

His reaction?

“Look, if it is official, then it is. I mean, what can I do? Nothing. That’s it. You know my position. It is what it is."

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For now he's mostly focused on getting as much as possible from his stay down under. A rematch with Kyrgios has been on his mind as well:

“We are talking with the Australian Open about doing something in a week prior to the start of the tournament. Yes, I chatted with Nick, and I would like to play with him, and he accepted, but he wants shorter sets. Let’s see if that works out. I’m happy if that will be organised. We’re still not having 100 per cent confirmation, but I think most likely [it] will happen with Nick, so I’m looking forward to that.”

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He also spoke about his relationship with Kyrgios:

“I wasn’t his favourite guy – let’s take it that way – for many years. But he was one of the very few that stood by me last year, and I respect that and appreciate that. He was giving me undivided support in the moments where I was being challenged a lot, and him as an Australian, I respected that a lot. Since then, our relationship has changed for [the] better.”

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