Novak Djokovic will not play in the US Open, as expected, because he has not been vaccinated against COVID-19 and therefore does not have permission to travel to the United States.
Djokovic announced his withdrawal from the final Grand Slam tournament of the year on Twitter on Thursday, hours before the draw for the event was revealed.
“Unfortunately, I will not be able to travel to New York for the US Open this time,” Djokovic wrote, wishing his teammates luck and saying he would “stay in good shape and positive spirit and look forward to an opportunity to compete in new.”
Play is scheduled to begin Monday at Flushing Meadows.
Djokovic is a 35-year-old Serbian who owns 21 major championships, one behind Rafael Nadal for the men’s record. Three of Djokovic’s Slam titles came at the US Open, in 2011, 2015 and 2018.
Unfortunately, I will not be able to travel to New York for the US Open this time. Thanks
—@DjokerNole
He was also runner-up there a half-dozen times, including last season, when his quest for the first calendar-year Grand Slam in men’s tennis since 1969 ended with a final loss to Daniil Medvedev.
Foreign nationals who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 are currently not allowed to enter the United States or Canada, and Djokovic has said he will not get the shots, although that prevents him from playing in certain tournaments.
The United States Tennis Association has said all along that it will follow government guidelines on vaccination status for this year’s Open. There is no vaccination mandate at the tournament for players or their support teams, meaning an unvaccinated American would be allowed to compete, and spectators will not be required to wear masks.
“Novak is a great champion and it is very unfortunate that he will not be able to compete in the 2022 US Open as he cannot enter the country due to the federal government’s vaccination policy for non-US citizens,” Stacey Allaster said. the director of the US Open tournament. “We look forward to welcoming Novak back to the 2023 US Open.”
US Open Statement: pic.twitter.com/E5ijwpkKjS
—@usopen
Djokovic missed the Australian Open in January after a lengthy legal saga resulted in his deportation from this country because he is not vaccinated against COVID-19. He also participated in four major tournaments in North America in 2022, including most recently in Montreal and Cincinnati.
He played at the French Open, where he lost in the quarterfinals to Nadal, and at Wimbledon, where Djokovic won the title.
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The top-seeded star won his fourth consecutive Wimbledon title by defeating Nick Kyrgios 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (3).
After beating Nick Kyrgios in the Wimbledon final on July 10, Djokovic said he would “love” to play in the final Grand Slam tournament of the year at Flushing Meadows, but also admitted: “I’m not planning to vaccinate me”.
About three weeks later, Djokovic posted on social media that he was hoping to get a chance to play at the US Open, writing: “I’m preparing as if I’m going to be allowed to compete, while I’m waiting to hear if there is there any room for travel to the US. Fingers crossed!”
Djokovic has spent more weeks at No. 1 than anyone in the history of the ATP rankings. He is No. 6 this week, in part because no ranking points have been awarded at Wimbledon this year.
Other players who won’t be at the US Open for various reasons include second-ranked Alexander Zverev, the 2020 runner-up in New York; 2016 champion Angelique Kerber; Marketa Vondrousova, 2019 French Open finalist; Gael Monfils and Reilly Opelka.