Novak Djokovic is no longer eligible to play in US Open due to non-vaccination
As forecasted, Novak Djokovic will not participate in the U.S. Open due his vaccination status.
Novak Djokovic is no longer eligible to play in US Open due to non-vaccination
On Thursday, hours before the event’s draw was made public, Djokovic declared on Twitter that he will not be competing in the final Grand Slam event of the year. Wishing his fellow competitors well, Djokovic said, “Unfortunately, I will not be able to travel to NY this time for the US Open.” He added that he would “stay in good shape and generous outlook and await a chance to participate soon.”
On Monday, Flushing Meadows is scheduled to open for sports. Djokovic, a 35-year-old Serbian, has won 21 of them and is one major victory behind Rafael Nadal in the men’s records. Djokovic won three Slams in the US Open in 2011, 2015, and 2018.
He also placed second there twelve times, including last year when, after falling to Daniil Medvedev in the final, he was unable to complete the first calendar-year Grand Slam in men’s tennis since 1969.
Djokovic has stated he won’t get the injections, even if it precludes him from competing in some tournaments, and foreigners who have not had the COVID-19 vaccination are now prohibited from entering the United States or Canada.
For this year’s Open, the U.S. Tennis Association has consistently said that it will abide by federal regulations on vaccine requirements. An American who is not vaccinated would be permitted to compete, and spectators will not be forced to wear masks during the competition because there is no vaccination obligation for participants or their support teams.
After a lengthy legal battle that culminated in his expulsion from Australia because he lacks the COVID-19 vaccine, Djokovic missed the Australian Open in January. In 2022, he also skipped four major competitions in North America, most recently in Cincinnati and Montreal.
