"He's one of the greatest champions we’ve ever had, he's still got a few more years of being near the top" - James Blake on Novak Djokovic
Former World No. 4 James Blake believes Novak Djokovic will go down as the "greatest champion" in tennis history. The American feels the World No. 1 can continue to stay at the top of the game for a few more years.
Djokovic was involved in a major controversy ahead of the Australian Open over his vaccine status, which culminated in his visa being canceled and him being deported back to Serbia. The Serb is currently unvaccinated and might be barred from participating in tournaments that have a mandatory vaccination policy.
James Blake, the tournament director for the Miami Masters, said the Serb would be allowed to compete in the ATP 1000 event even if he is not vaccinated, provided he is allowed to fly into the country and is willing to undergo a period of quarantine.
The American added that the tournament "would love to have" the Serb in the draw this year.
“We’d love to have him, he’s one of the greatest champions we’ve ever had in the sport. I believe he will go down as the greatest champion. He still got quite a few more years of being at or near the top of the game," Blake said. "It’s a matter of him figuring out how to navigate this time, the protocols, what’s safe, what isn’t safe?”
Novak Djokovic on entry list for Dubai Tennis Championships
Novak Djokovic is set to make his return to competitive action at the Dubai Tennis Championships next month. The Serb is on the entry list for the ATP 500 event. Djokovic, a five-time champion in Dubai, did not participate in the tournament last year.
Andrey Rublev, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Jannik Sinner, Denis Shapovalov and reigning champion Aslan Karatsev are also on the Dubai entry list.
He’s back! Novak Djokovic, the world number one, is returning to the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium next month.
#DDFTennis #30Years #Tennis #Championships @atptour @DubaiDutyFree https://t.co/sEvwlM3DmL
Djokovic's last appearance at the Dubai Tennis Championships was in 2020, when he beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-4 in the final. He dropped only one set in the competition, against Gael Monfils in the semifinals.