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A Move by US President Biden Could Give Novak Djokovic a Shot
A Move by US President Biden Could Give Novak Djokovic a Shot
Despite a hamstring injury, the world No. 1 could again set his sights on winning all four majors as a change in U.S. policy likely opens the door to travelers who are unvaccinated against Covid-19
Once Novak Djokovic made it back to Australia, he hardly wanted to leave.
Djokovic had been in the country for almost a month and had not lost a single tennis match there—not in the Australian Open tuneups nor in the tournament itself, which he won for a record 10th time on Sunday. A year on from his Melbourne deportation fiasco, Djokovic had returned in conquering form and felt right at home again.
But more than 10,000 miles away, the rest of his season was already taking shape—and it could finally mean that Djokovic has something resembling a full Grand Slam season.
As the White House announced this week that President Biden would end the U.S. Covid-19 emergency declarations on May 11, Djokovic’s chances of returning to the U.S. Open and chasing a first men’s calendar-year Grand Slam since 1969 appeared set to improve dramatically.
A Move by US President Biden Could Give Novak Djokovic a Shot
Djokovic has been stymied in the U.S. by an order for most noncitizens to show proof of vaccination to enter the U.S. by air, and the White House announcement quickly raised hopes in the travel industry that the rule would fall.
“Hopefully the President’s announcement of the end of emergency measures in May means that this policy will be terminated,” U.S. Travel Association head Geoff Freeman said this week.
That won’t happen automatically, though. Whether Djokovic will be in Queens this summer depends on a decision from the White House to lift a separate presidential proclamation that the travel order is based on.
In the meantime, not even Djokovic is certain where he will play next.
“I have to reflect and sleep over a few nights and just realize what I’ve been through with my team,” Djokovic said here on Sunday, before the announcement. “Of course, it makes me incredibly proud, but it also is a huge relief because it hasn’t been smooth sailing, on and off the court, in the last three to four weeks.”
READ MORE: Novak Djokovic’s coach ridicules Grigor Dimitrov over his moves on Novak Djokovic in…
Djokovic’s two objectives are the biggest in the sport. He wants to retain the No. 1 world ranking that he reclaimed in Australia. And he wants to add to his tally of 22 major titles, overtaking Rafael Nadal for the all-time lead. Returning to the U.S. Open, a tournament he has already won three times certainly helps.
But while the restrictions remain in place, Djokovic will miss two of the most prestigious dates on the men’s tennis circuit—and all of their ranking points—between now and the next major, the hard-court Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells, Calif., and Miami. Djokovic hasn’t said what he will do in the meantime, though Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley revealed on Australian television this week that Djokovic had won the tournament while carrying a 1.2-inch hamstring tear.
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It shouldn’t have come from his mouth: Christopher Bell disgrace Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson in public
Christopher Bell disgrace Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson in public
Christopher Bell made his choice about NASCAR’s top superstars based on their achievements in races. He believes that drivers like Austin Dillon from RCR, Kyle Busch from JGR, Brad Keselowski from Team Penske, and Bubba Wallace from RFK Racing are the top drivers in terms of wins.
Bell did not mention big names like Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick, who may be famous but do not have the same level of success as the veterans. He also noted that in the Next-Gen era, there is greater equality in the field, with 15-20 cars competing for the win each week.
This means that the dominance seen in the Big-3 era may not return. Bell suggests that NASCAR needs to find unique ways, like the Netflix documentary, to improve the sport.
Three weeks have passed since the Texas race, and the stunning comeback story it harbored is still the talk of the town. After getting sidelined for 42 Cup races, Chase Elliott stormed back into the winning scene of NASCAR. And the journey to the podium has been a prickly one, laden with obstacles every step of the way.
Chase Elliott suffered a knee injury in a snowboarding accident in 2023 and saw his playoff chances spiraling away from him. His troubles saw no end in sight as his long-time spotter, Eddie D’Hondt, packed up his bags and left. However, the memory of his previous fire helped his journey of recovery.
2023 marked the first season that Chase Elliott walked out of a NASCAR Cup schedule without a single win. However, he did not let his drooping spirits get the better of him. Elliott worked hard with his No. 9 team for a slow but sure comeback in 2024. They crept up the ladder after Daytona, never letting the winless hangover overcome them.
Elliott secured 5th place at Richmond and then grabbed a podium finish at Martinsville. The six-time defending Most Popular Driver held his fans at the edge of their seats. Sure enough, Chase Elliott found his long-lost glory in the Lone Star state. On a recent ‘Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour’ episode, Harvick asked Elliott about the relief he felt on seizing that coveted win. Elliott responded, “Yeah, the first time…I’m not quite used to seeing the other side of the interviews…it is odd, I’m getting used to it. Yeah definitely, relief involved, for sure.”
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We are where we belong: Lewis Hamilton ruthless after Mercedes bankruptcy
Mercedes experienced another blow in the neck at the start of the Formula 1 weekend in Miami. George and Hamilton failed in sprint qualifying in Q2. After the slap, Hamilton didn’t even look for excuses, but instead came to a ruthless conclusion.
“I have the feeling that we got everything out of our car. That’s just our pace. We have to accept that we are seven tenths of a second behind,” said the record world champion.
Mercedes in the Miami midfield: balance is right, result is not
Over the past few weekends, setup experiments have often been cited as an explanation for poor results. There was no talk of this in Miami, although the upgrades that Mercedes brought to the track on a large scale and the sprint format would have given plenty of reason to blame a setup search.
But according to Hamilton, there was no problem with the car’s balance. “The car felt very good in training and it didn’t feel bad in sprint qualifying either,” he summarized. Hopes for the race are muted. “The sprint race will be tough. I don’t expect much from 12th place. Plus, it’s not easy to overtake and follow other cars on this track,” said Hamilton.
Lewis Hamilton pessimistic: Are points even possible?
“We’ll just try to get into the points somehow, if we can,” are his small goals. George Russell’s outlook for the short race on Saturday sounded a little more optimistic. “I have no doubt that we will continue to sprint forward.” He starts in P11, just one position ahead of his teammate and compatriot.
However, he sees a need for action with a view to qualifying for the sixth Grand Prix of the 2024 Formula 1 season. “We have to get our qualifying problems under control. Because it is always difficult to fight with other cars when you start from behind “, he said.
Russell’s balance conclusion was similar to Hamilton’s: “In the soft tire felt good on our car, but on the medium tire in qualifying we couldn’t get our car into the sweet spot.”
Mercedes dead end: After the first training session things go downhill
What is particularly alarming for Mercedes is a well-known phenomenon this season: after a good start to the weekend in the first training session, there is no improvement in the following sessions. Mercedes engineer Andrew Shovlin also noted this: “Unfortunately, in the crucial session, we were unable to take the step that others were able to, as we have seen many times this year.”
The Silver Arrows still find a little consolation in the time table: the gaps were quite small in the first qualifying session of the weekend. P5 was only two tenths of a second away. Whether a comparison with RB driver Daniel Ricciardo and a gap of seven tenths to the top meets the demands of a team that once dominated is another matter.
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Millions of Dollars: Dale Earnhardt Jr. faces financial challenges and raises concerns with all the blame on NASCAR
Dale Earnhardt Jr. faces financial challenges and raises concerns with all the blame on NASCAR
Dale Earnhardt Jr. reveals lack of profitability in NASCAR teams. The NASCAR Hall of Famer has always been vocal about the financial challenges and concerns that arise from owning a racing team in NASCAR. This is due to the current state of NASCAR and the reason why none of the teams are able to generate profits.
During an episode of his podcast, Dale Jr. Download, the 49-year-old driver shared his thoughts on the agreement between NASCAR and the teams. He discussed how he never made money as a team owner, including his Xfinity team, JR Motorsports, and how none of the teams can turn a profit under the current agreement.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. expressed frustration with the overall situation and showed empathy towards the teams, understanding the significant amount of money invested behind the scenes. The financial situation of NASCAR teams seems to be quite complex after the new grant agreement, and NASCAR will likely need to address this issue to avoid future complications.
During the same conversation, Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is also a team owner at JRM, shared an interesting detail about Denny Hamlin’s perspective on the profitability of NASCAR teams. According to Earnhardt Jr., co-owner of 23XI Racing, Hamlin supports the teams and is actively working to make them profitable.
Earnhardt Jr. revealed that he has had several discussions with Hamlin about the importance of profitability and how they have been collaborating behind the scenes to help teams achieve financial success. Only time will tell if these efforts will lead to improvements in the financial situation of NASCAR teams.
It shouldn’t have come from his mouth: Christopher Bell disgrace Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson in public
We are where we belong: Lewis Hamilton ruthless after Mercedes bankruptcy
