Tennis superstar Novak Djokovic has been denied entry into the United States to participate in the upcoming BNP Paribas Open. The Biden administration denied Djokovic’s vaccine waiver, as he is unvaccinated against COVID-19.
As a result, Djokovic has withdrawn from the tournament scheduled to commence on March 8 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in California.
Djokovic, a 22-time Grand Slam winner and currently ranked No. 1 in the world by the Association of Tennis Professionals, will be sorely missed by tennis fans across the globe.
However, some Republican senators are standing up for the Serbian tennis star, calling on Congress to eliminate Biden’s vaccine mandate.
Republican Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott wrote a letter to President Biden urging him to grant Djokovic’s requested waiver, stating that it is necessary to allow him to compete in the Miami Open professional tennis tournament held in Florida.
The senators used Biden’s own words against him, arguing that if the pandemic is really “over” like Biden insists, then there is no reason for the mandate.
“In light of these changing circumstances, and admissions by you and members of your own administration, the current restrictive vaccine mandate which you have maintained for international travelers entering the United States seems outdated and worthy of rescission,” the senators wrote.
They further argued that Djokovic is a world-class athlete in peak physical condition who is not at high risk of severe complications from COVID-19.
Therefore, it seems both illogical and misaligned with the opinions of the Biden administration to not grant him the waiver he requests so that he may travel to the U.S. to compete in a professional event.
The BNP Paribas Open is a popular event that includes matches in both California and Florida, running through March 19. Djokovic’s absence will undoubtedly be felt by fans, but Republican senators are making it clear that they believe Biden’s vaccine mandate is outdated and unnecessary in light of the current state of the pandemic.
