Novak Djokovic has confirmed that he won’t be playing at the US Open after a decision from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding vaccination requirements for entering the country.
Despite the tournament starting on Monday, with the draw taking place on Thursday, it had still not been confirmed whether or not Djokovic – who is unvaccinated – would be able to travel and play at Flushing Meadows.
On Thursday the CDC confirmed that visitors to the US still needed to be vaccinated if they are foreign nationals, a category that Djokovic falls into.
Djokovic tweeted later on to confirm that he would not be playing.
“Sadly, I will not be able to travel to NY this time for US Open. Thank you #NoleFam for your messages of love and support. Good luck to my fellow players! I’ll keep in good shape and positive spirit and wait for an opportunity to compete again. See you soon tennis world!”
Djokovic hasn’t played competitively since his Wimbledon triumph in July, and was unable to travel to the ATP Tour’s most recent tournaments in Canada and the United States due to his vaccination status.
He caused an international incident in January ahead of the Australian Open, and was eventually deported.
Djokovic entered the country ahead of the tournament as he believed he was exempt from strict rules the country had around unvaccinated travellers, and was branded a “public health risk” after only recently recovering from the virus.
The 21-time Grand Slam winner was beaten 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 by Daniil Medvedev in last year’s US Open final as the Russian claimed his first title.
Djokovic ast won the US Open in 2018, and has since won the Australian Open and Wimbledon three times apiece, as well as clinching a second French Open.
Source: Modern Ghana
