Just hours after winning his 4th consecutive Wimbledon title in four sets against Nick Kyrgios, Novak Djokovic has confirmed that he does not intend to be vaccinated against COVID-19. He will therefore not be able to play in the US Open unless the restrictions for entering the United States are changed or Djokovic obtains a medical exemption.
“I am not vaccinated and I do not plan to get vaccinated, so the only good news that could happen to me is that the United States ends the obligation of the vaccination passport to enter its territory or an exemption”, said Djokovic on Sunday. I don’t think an exemption is realistic. If that’s a possibility, I don’t know what it would be based on.”
The 35-year-old Djokovic will not be able to play in the Australian Open in 2023 as he is not eligible for a visa. In a press conference after his Wimbledon win, he said he didn’t know when he would be able to play competitive matches again.
“I’m on vacation,” Djokovic said. Whether I’m playing a tournament soon or not, I will definitely rest in the coming weeks. The past few months have been exhausting and demanding for me. I played a lot of tennis, it made me happy and I got what I wanted”.
“I will wait hoping for good news from the United States, because I would like to go there. If possible, I will play 1-2 tournaments before the US Open. However, if I can’t get there, I will have to revise the calendar, ”revealed Djokovic visibly in lack of answers.
Djokovic, ranked 3rd in the world, will drop to seventh place in the world rankings on Monday. Despite his victory at Wimbledon, the London tournament is devoid of points since he banned Russians and Belarusians from taking part due to the invasion in Ukraine.
Djokovic is very likely to continue his slide in the rankings since he will probably not be able to defend his finalist points at the last edition of the US Open. The event will begin on August 29.
