Novak Djokovic’s hopes of playing at the U.S. Open took another hit when the tournament said that it would abide by U.S. government regulations regarding Covid-19 vaccines. It remains unclear if Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic, who holds a record 21 grand slam titles, will be allowed to play in 2022 Australian Open following his dispute with the Australian Government about being granted a medical exemption from taking the vaccine. Australian tennis chiefs are confident that Novak Djokovic can resume his quest for a grand slam title in Melbourne in 2023, having created massive controversy and had his visa cancelled at the U.S. Open.
Novak Djokovic was named in the draw at the last major of the year on Wednesday, but it was a routine one, not a sign that he would be allowed to compete. That means Novak Djokovic’s 2022 skips the U.S. Open, where he made a final appearance last year, and the Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati and Canada, which have the same strict vaccine policy. With the tournament organizers expected to follow the U.S. government’s guidelines for the COVID vaccine, Wimbledon 2022 champion Novak Djokovic’s refusal to get the vaccine would ultimately bar him from entering the country for the 2022 U.S. Open. The Serbian vaccination with Covid-19 is no longer a secret, and his unwillingness to vaccinate is set to exclude Wimbledon 2022 champion, Novak Djokovic from competing at the 2022 edition of the U.S. Open is the final major of the calendar year.
Novak Djokovic’s, said following his success at SW19, he was waiting hopefully for some good news out of the USA, but that does not seem like it is coming. Novak Djokovic’s controversial anti-vaccination stance has prevented him from playing his full schedule this year, even leading to him being high-profile expelled from Melbourne before the Australian Open. While acknowledging that Djokovic poses a small personal risk of passing COVID-19 on to others, ministers nevertheless concluded that, as Djokovic has an established anti-vaccination position, his mere presence may contribute to Australia’s anti-vaccination mood, writes the Brownstone Institute. Djokovic’s controversial anti-vaccination attitude has banned him from playing the full tournament schedule this year and has even led to the expulsion of one top-ranked player from Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open.
Novak Djokovic‘s season got off to an ugly start as Novak Djokovic arrived in Australia for the Australian Open, only to be deported and sent back to Serbia following a high-profile legal fight in which everyone from Australian politicians to former tennis players took sides in the dispute.
