It was a decision expected for several days, but the Serb had decided to fight until the end. Banned from entering the United States because of his refusal to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, Novak Djokovic announced this Thursday that he was withdrawing from the US Open which is due to start on Monday.
“Unfortunately, I won’t be able to travel to New York this time for the US Open. (…) Good luck to my fellow players! I will keep myself in good shape and in a positive state of mind while waiting to be able to resume competition”, wrote on his Twitter account the Serb who hoped until the last moment for a change in health measures imposing vaccination against Covid-19 for entry into the United States.
It is not the first time that the Serb has had to give up participating in a tournament due to his refusal to be vaccinated. Last January, at the time of the Australian Open, he had been at the heart of an imbroglio which had lasted almost ten days. First allowed to enter Australian territory thanks to a government exemption, he ended up being expelled after a court decision the day before the start of the tournament.
At 35, the one who was number one in the world for a very long time, ended up losing his throne and is thus fell back to 6th ATP rank and should drop further since he will not be able to defend his points in New York.
Sadly, I will not be able to travel to NY this time for US Open. Thank you #Don’tFam 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! ????????
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) August 25, 2022
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