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Novak Djokovic will miss the upcoming Miami Open and now the full cost of his decision not to get the Covid-19 vaccine could be revealed.
This could be the last event since Djokovic’s decision to sidestep his international vaccination program in 2018. His expulsion from Australia in early 2022 is a sign of things to come.
Djokovic missed all US events last year, including four ATP Masters events and the US Open.
That cost him the top spot in the ATP rankings, and he returned to the top of the game in January after winning the Australian Open.
After unsuccessful attempts to enter the US and play at Indian Wells and the Miami Masters, tournament directors urged US officials to exempt Djokovic from competing, but he is in danger of losing the No. 1 ranking again. .
Those calls fell on deaf ears and now we can reveal how much money Djokovic missed out on because of his vaccination decision.
Now the full financial cost of his absence from the eight tournaments he has missed since the start of 2022 could be revealed.
Djokovic is expected to reach the finals of all the tournaments that have been banned since his January 2022 withdrawal from Australia, denying him the chance to compete for a bigger prize money cheque. .
Although he did not win the eight events he missed, Djokovic missed out on the opportunity to compete for the big money winners’ check in all of those events.
Australia 2022 – $1.93M
Indian Wells 2022 – $1.23M
Miami 2022 – $1.23 million
Canadian Open 2022 – $915,295
Cincinnati Masters 2022 – $970,020
American Open – 2.6 million dollars
Australia 2023 – $1.99m
Indian Wells 2023 – $1.26m
Miami 2023 – $1.26 million
Djokovic is the favorite to lift the title in all eight tournaments and would have taken home $13.38 million had he remained undefeated in the tournament.
He also missed 11,000 ATP ranking points and has limited options to play in alternate tournaments away from the US.
Djokovic’s missed major events carry a gravitas that no other major tournament has in those weeks.
It means the best player in the game has been forced to spend several weeks away from competition, but there is speculation that the latest layoff could help him in 2023.
“It might be fresh for the clay-court season, it might be fresher for the French Open,” former world No. 1 Mats Wilander said. Eurosport.
“It is number 1 in the world. He has already broken all records when it comes to number 1. So what difference does it make if another Indian Wells or Miami wins?
“He doesn’t have to deal with trust issues. Most players do. Novak Djokovic doesn’t seem to need a lot of confidence to get back into the Champions League and start winning again.
“So I think it’s going to be good for him on clay. He’s going to have a better season. He definitely needs to win the French Open because I think that’s probably his last chance at a Grand Slam on the calendar.”
“I definitely feel like that’s in the wheelhouse. I was surprised he didn’t do it two years ago and I’ll be surprised again because watching him play at the Australian Open, there’s no holding back.
“He’s not getting worse, he’s not getting old. In fact, it is improving now. So for me, the less tennis he plays, the better he wins majors.
“It’s proven that he has to have a good situation at home because he comes when he’s hot, he’s very good, he doesn’t get upset, he plays as well. In fact, he plays harder. So I think it’s a plus.”
Read more: The final decision was made on Novak Djokovic’s request to play in Miami
