Shortly before the draw for the last Grand Slam tournament of the season on Thursday, the name of the 35-year-old Serb was suddenly missing from the list of players on the tournament homepage. The event in Flushing Meadows will therefore take place from Monday without the three-time winner and last year’s finalist.
Djokovic confirmed that he will not be traveling to New York. “Good luck to my colleagues! I will stay in shape and with a positive spirit and wait for the opportunity to play for titles again. See you soon, tennis world,” wrote the Serb on Twitter. The US Tennis Association USTA described his absence as “unfortunate”. But they are happy to welcome Djokovic back to the US Open 2023.
Djokovic’s absence comes as no surprise as the United States requires foreign citizens to provide proof of vaccination and the 21-time Grand Slam tournament winner has categorically refused vaccination against the coronavirus. “I’m not vaccinated and I don’t plan to get vaccinated,” Djokovic said after his Wimbledon triumph in July.
Because of this attitude, Djokovic is already missing the second Grand Slam tournament this year after he had to leave the country before the first serve at the Australian Open in January after a posse about his entry, which also occupied the courts.
Until recently, Djokovic had hoped for an exception at the US Open. He prepares himself “as if I had permission to play,” Djokovic, who has not competed in a tournament since Wimbledon, tweeted at the end of July. He had also had to miss other tournaments in North America.
The organizers of the US Open would have welcomed the start of the exceptional talent, but they also emphasized that they respect the US entry regulations regarding the corona virus. With a few exceptions, vaccination is still a prerequisite for traveling to the country. That didn’t change shortly before the US Open.
Source: Nachrichten
