‘
Novak Djokovic has officially confirmed that he will not be traveling to New York for the upcoming US Open due to his refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19, which rendered him ineligible to enter the country.
The former world No. 1 was ousted from Australia ever since his attempt to enter the Australian Open with a coronavirus vaccine exemption was turned down, and he has not gotten to play since winning his 21st Grand Slam title at Wimbledon.
Sadly, I will not be able to travel to NY this time for the US Open, “Djokovic tweeted Thursday ahead of the US Open draw. ‘Thank you, # NoleFam, for your messages of love and support. Good luck to my fellow players! I’ll keep myself in good shape and positive spirit and wait for an opportunity to compete again. See you soon, tennis world!’
The three-time US Open champion had hoped to compete if the US government changed its policy on unvaccinated visitors. The US Tennis Association previously stated that if Djokovic were permitted to play in the US, he would do so.
After defeating Nick Kyrgios in the Wimbledon final on July 10, Djokovic stated that he “would love to compete in the year’s final Grand Slam tournament at Flushing Meadows, but he also stated that he does not intend to get vaccinated.”
Three weeks later, Djokovic expressed hope that he would be able to compete in the UU Open, writing on social media, “I am preparing as if I will be allowed to compete, while I await to hear if there is any room for me to travel to the US.” “Keep your fingers crossed!” On Thursday, Djokovic’s hopes were dashed as he has been refused entry.
Administrators did stress that he would be welcome to play at the US Open in 2023.
“Novak is a great champion and it is very unfortunate that he will be unable to compete at the 2022 US Open, as he is unable to enter the country due to the federal government’s vaccination policy for non-US citizens,” tournament director Stacey Allaster said in a statement.
Djokovic officially withdrew from the tournament before the main draw was released. The 35-year-old Serbian had plenty of reasons to play in New York, given that his 21 Grand Slam titles are just one short of rival Rafael Nadal’s men’s record. According to tournament officials, another player from the qualifying tournament will be the ‘lucky loser’ who replaces Djokovic at the 2022 US Open.
Djokovic, on the other hand, has steadfastly refused to be vaccinated against COVID-19, missing several tournaments as a result. The decorated Serbian tennis player has indicated that he is not opposed to all vaccines but is very selective about what he puts into his own body.
