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sports Friday 11 March 2022
Unvaccinated Djokovic says he is out of Indian Wells, Miami

By HOWARD FENDRICH start to 2022 for Djokovic,
AP Tennis Writer who went through deten-
Novak Djokovic said that tion and a court case dur-
he will not be able to com- ing an 11-day saga in Aus-
pete at the hard-court ten- tralia before he was sent
nis tournaments in Indian home. During the legal
Wells, California, or Miami back-and-forth, Djokovic
because he is unvaccinat- said he wasn’t vaccinated
ed and can’t travel to the and thought he should get
United States. a medical exemption to
The 20-time Grand Slam rules requiring the shots be-
champion tweeted cause, he said, he tested
Wednesday that the Cen- positive for COVID-19 again
ters for Disease Control in December. He also said
“confirmed the regulations he attended an in-person
won’t be changing so I interview with a reporter
won’t be able to play in the despite having that result.
U.S.” In February, Djokovic said in
Djokovic, who recently an interview that he would
dropped to No. 2 in the ATP not get vaccinated, even
rankings, has played in only if he needs to be in order
one tournament so far in to participate in events
2022 because he has not Serbia’s Novak Djokovic returns the ball to Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti during a match of the Dubai Duty such as the French Open or
received any shots to pro- Free Tennis Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Monday, Feb. 21, 2022. Wimbledon.
tect against COVID-19. He Associated Press On the last day of last
was deported from Austra- with professional tennis on that everyone on-site at In- would be a long shot,” said month, Djokovic dropped
lia in January and was not hiatus, he organized a se- dian Wells would need to James Blake, the tourna- out of the No. 1 ranking for
allowed to try to defend his ries of exhibition matches be fully inoculated. ment director in Miami. the first time in two years,
title at Melbourne Park. in Serbia and Croatia with “While I was automatically “We have an incredibly sliding to No. 2 behind
Rafael Nadal wound up no rules requiring social listed in the @BNPPARIBA- deep and talented player Daniil Medvedev. Djokov-
winning the Australian distancing or masking — a SOPEN and @MiamiOpen field, and look forward to ic’s 361 total weeks atop
Open for his 21st major tour that was called off af- draw,” Djokovic wrote hosting a great event.” the ATP are a record, as
trophy, breaking a tie with ter some players, including Wednesday, “I knew it Chris Widmaier, a spokes- are his seven times finishing
Djokovic and Roger Feder- Djokovic, got COVID-19. would be unlikely I’d be man for the U.S. Tennis As- a season at No. 1.
er for the most claimed by His name was put in the able to travel.” sociation, which runs the And on March 1, Djokovic
a man in the history of ten- draw for the BNP Paribas Indian Wells is under way U.S. Open, said the orga- announced that he and
nis. Open in California on Tues- this week; the Miami Open nization would have no coach Marian Vajda were
Djokovic is a 34-year-old day, even though his status starts on March 21. comment other than to splitting up after 15 years
from Serbia who said in was up in the air because “We understood from the note that the event follows together.
April 2020, as the coronavi- the U.S. has been requiring beginning that Novak’s government guidelines. In his lone tournament
rus pandemic raged, that foreign visitors to be vacci- participation at the Miami The American Grand Slam of the year, Djokovic lost
he was opposed to need- nated to enter the country. Open was determinant tournament is scheduled to to Jiri Vesely in the quar-
ing to be vaccinated to In addition, the tournament on his entry into the Unit- begin on Aug. 29. terfinals of the Dubai
travel. In June of that year, had previously announced ed States, which we knew It has been a turbulent Championships.q

MLS leverages $25 million loan to

promote economic justice

By ANNE M. PETERSON tion with exclusively Black- bank can do, by joining to-
AP Sports Writer owned banks. gether,” Bell said. “This is us
Major League Soccer will Ashley Bell, NBBF founder working together proving
leverage a $25 million loan and general counsel, said that we’re good enough,
from a coalition of Black- the result will be access we’re strong enough to get
owned banks in an effort to to capital for prospective a deal done just as quickly
promote economic equity home owners, businesses as anybody else and we
and justice. The partner- and faith-based organiza- did that.” The loan is part of
ship announced Thursday tions. “So when you talk the league’s endeavors to
with the nonprofit National about why this matters, it combat racism and advo- Toronto FC’s fans set off blue-and-yellow flares and hold up
Black Bank Foundation matters because this gives cate for social justice, an- colored cards to show their support for Ukraine during the first
aims to grow the banks’ a chance for a sense of nounced in October 2020. half of an MLS soccer match against the New York Red Bulls, in
Toronto, Saturday, March 5, 2022.
capital through interest pride in our community, to The league is working with Associated Press
earned and fees — which see that our Black banks the MLS group Black Play-
in turn creates the capac- from across the country ers for Change. earmarked. Black Players during which the players
ity for new lines of credit are able to do a deal with Sola Winley, MLS execu- for Change was founded stood silent with fists raised
for loans in communities of a world-class organization tive vice president and by Justin Morrow in 2020 in for more than 8 minutes
color. with the most diverse fan head of Diversity, Equity response to the death of — signifying the length of
MLS says it is the first time base in the world, to be and Inclusion, said the fi- George Floyd. The group time police officer Derek
a major sports league in able to say that we can do nancing would be used for made a powerful state- Chauvin had his knee on
the United States has en- exactly what Chase, Bank strategic investments and ment of unity at the MLS is Floyd’s neck before he
tered into a major transac- of America or any other priorities but has not been Back Tournament that year died. q