Novak Djokovic could end the year as the world’s top-ranked player but it would be a “disgrace” if his chances are affected by not being able to compete in the United States due to his unvaccinated status, Indian Wells tournament director Tommy Haas said.

US authorities said this month the requirement for foreign air travellers to be vaccinated against Covid would be in place until at least April 10, meaning Djokovic will miss out on Indian Wells and Miami again.

“If Djokovic stays healthy, I don’t see how he’s not going to be No.1,” Haas said at Melbourne Park on Monday. “It would be nice to see if we could maybe lift those a little earlier and have him come to play Indian Wells and Miami. Hopefully we can have him there.”

Vekic revelation

Donna Vekic reached a grand slam quarter final for the first time since 2019 on Monday, but the 26-year-old said she was on the verge of retiring after struggling for form and fitness following knee surgery two years ago.

“I said twice I’m going to quit tennis. But after saying that, I won Courmayeur. Then my fitness was improving. It was too tough for me mentally to be on this average level because I know what I was capable of before.”

‘No comparison’

Czech teenager Linda Fruhvirtova was quick to shut down an attempt to compare her and her 15-year-old sibling, Brenda, to the Williams sisters after her fairytale run at the Australian Open came to an end in the fourth round on Monday.

The 17-year-old said that while it had been “special” playing at a major tournament with her sister, comparisons with Venus and Serena Williams were more than a little premature. “It’s an honour, but I wouldn’t compare us to Serena or Venus,” Fruhvirtova said.