- Former world number one Novak Djokovic has announced that he would not be able to travel to New York for the US Open due to his refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19
- Travelers must currently provide proof of complete vaccination to board flights to and enter the United States
- The Serbian had previously stated that he was willing to miss Grand Slam tournaments that require participants to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Djokovic was entered at the August 29-September 11 tournaments in New York
- Many people expected to see Djokovic on the Flushing Meadows hard courts, where he has won the trophy three times and reached the final six times
Former world number one Novak Djokovic has announced that he would not be able to travel to New York for the US Open due to his refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Travelers must currently provide proof of complete vaccination to board flights to and enter the United States.
“Unfortunately, I will not be able to travel to New York this time for the US Open,” Djokovic said on Twitter. “Good luck to my fellow competitors! I’ll stay in shape and be cheerful while waiting for another chance to compete.”
The 35-year-old was also unable to defend his Australian Open title earlier this year after being deported due to a lack of vaccinations. The United States Tennis Association (USTA) called Djokovic’s withdrawal “unfortunate,” but said he would be back at Flushing Meadows next year.
“Novak is a tremendous champion, and it is extremely disappointing that he will be unable to compete at the 2022 US Open owing to the federal government’s vaccination policy for non-US citizens,” said US Open tournament director Stacey Allaster in a statement. “We look forward to bringing Novak back to the US Open in 2023.”
Many people expected to see Djokovic on the Flushing Meadows hard courts, where he has won the trophy three times and reached the final six times.
