Florida’s Republican senators are itching to see the unvaccinated Novak Djokovic play at the Miami Open—so much so, they penned a letter to President Joe Biden on Friday urging him to sign a waiver to let the Serbian national into the U.S. despite regulations barring unvaxxed foreign nationals. “Mr. Djokovic is a world-class athlete in peak physical condition who is not at high-risk of severe complications from COVID-19,” the joint letter, from Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, said in part. The senators pointed to Biden’s comments last September that the pandemic “is over” as reason to let Djokovic in. Scott and Rubio’s hopes have the endorsement of Djokovic and the US Open itself, with the tournament releasing a statement Friday saying it’s “hopeful” Biden will approve the tennis legend’s waiver. Djokovic, who refuses to get vaxxed even if it means missing out on prestigious tournaments, said last month he has “a big desire” to compete in Miami.
