Novak Djokovic stated that he won’t be able compete in the hard-court tennis tournaments at Indian Wells, California or Miami due to his unvaccinated status and cannot travel to the United States.

, the 20-time Grand Slam champion , tweeted Wednesday to say that the Centers for Disease Control had “confirmed that regulations won’t change so I won’t have the opportunity to play in the U.S.”

Djokovic recently fell to No. Djokovic, who recently dropped to No. 2 in the ATP rankings has only played in one tournament in 2022. He has not been given any shots to prevent COVID-19. He was removed from Australia in January, and was not permitted to defend his title at Melbourne Park.

Rafael Nadal won the Australian Open, his 21st major trophy. This broke a tie with Roger Federer and Djokovic for the record for most claimed male tennis player in history.

Djokovic, a 34-year old Serbian man, said that in April 2020, while the coronavirus pandemic was raging, he opposed travel vaccinations. He organized an exhibition match in Serbia and Croatia that he hosted with no rules that required social distancing or masking. This tour was cancelled after Djokovic received COVID-19.

On Tuesday, his name was drawn for the BNP Paribas Open California. However, his status was still up in the air as the U.S. requires foreign visitors to get vaccinated before they can enter the country. The tournament previously stated that all participants at Indian Wells must be fully vaccinated.

Djokovic tweeted Wednesday that “While I was automatically included in the @BNPPARIBASOPEN draw and @MiamiOpen draw,” “I knew it wouldn’t be possible for me to travel.”

Indian Wells is underway this week. The Miami Open begins on March 21.

James Blake, Miami’s tournament director, stated that Novak’s participation in the Miami Open was crucial for his entry to the United States. This was something we knew from the beginning. “We have a talented and diverse player field and we look forward to hosting an amazing event.”

Chris Widmaier is a spokesperson for the U.S. Tennis Association. The organization runs the U.S. Open. He said that they would not comment except to say that the event follows government guidelines. The American Grand Slam tournament will begin on August 29.

Djokovic had a difficult start to 2022. He was held in detention and faced a court case over an 11-day Australian saga. Djokovic claimed he was not vaccinated, and suggested that he be granted a medical exemption from the rules. He said that he had tested positive for COVID-19 in December. Djokovic also stated that he was able to attend an interview with a reporter even though he had the same result.

Djokovic stated in February that he wouldn’t get vaccinated , even though he needed to be to take part in events like the French Open and Wimbledon.

Djokovic was relegated to the No. 1 ranking on the last day last month. Djokovic dropped to No. 1 for the first time since 2012, after sliding down from No. 2 behind Daniil Medvedev. Djokovic’s total 361 weeks at the top of the ATP is a record. His seven seasons at No. 1.

On March 1, Djokovic and Marian Vajda announced their split after 15 years of being together.

Djokovic was defeated by Jiri Vesely at the quarterfinals in Dubai Championships, his only tournament of the year.