Serbia's Novak Djokovic wears a face mask as he listens to the national anthems prior to a Davis Cup group F match between Serbia and Austria in Innsbruck, Austria, Friday, Nov. 26, 2021. (Photo/Michael Probst)
The Serbian legend – Novak Djokovic has announced that he will not be traveling to New York to play in the upcoming US Open competition.
The announcement seemed inevitable but fans were hoping against hope that somehow the legendary Novak Djokovic would be allowed to play in the upcoming US Open Championships. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) laid out the new guidelines which stated that there would be no discrimination regarding the vaccination status of people. However, that law was only applicable to the people already in the USA.
Fans were hoping that the rule would be tweaked a little and made applicable to foreign travelers as well. The 21-time Grand Slam champion also waited for as long as he could be with the US Open draw about to take place on Thursday, something had to give. Djokovic, who was part of the entry list for the US Open, has announced on Twitter that he would not feature this year at Flushing Meadows. He wrote:
“Sadly, I will not be able to travel to NY this time for US Open. Thank you #NoleFam 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! 👋🏼”
The 3-time US Open champion will miss his second Grand Slam of the year after being deported prior to the Australian Open owing to his unvaccinated status.
Alexander Zverev already pulled out of the competition as he has not yet recovered fully from his ankle injury. Now Djokovic’s withdrawal would take a lot of star power away from the last major event of the year.
Fans are distraught after the announcement from Novak Djokovic. They had signed petitions and put out hashtags on Twitter requesting the US government to allow Djokovic at the US Open. However, all of that fell on deaf ears.
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