Unvaccinated Novak Djokovic Skipping U.S. Open Due to Travel Restrictions

Novak Djokovic’s refusal to vaccinate himself in opposition to Covid-19 proceeds to cost him a shot at Grand Slam titles. The tennis star declared Thursday that he was compelled to skip the U.S. Open due to journey constraints against unvaccinated non-citizens.

“Sadly, I will not be capable to travel to NY this time for US Open up,” Djokovic tweeted Thursday. “Good luck to my fellow players! I’ll keep in excellent form and good spirit and wait for an prospect to compete yet again.  See you soon tennis entire world!”

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Whilst Djokovic was capable to contend at the 2021 U.S. Open up, vacation rules have since altered in the past yr. “Non-U.S. citizen, non-U.S. immigrants: You ought to clearly show evidence of staying absolutely vaccinated with the most important collection of an acknowledged COVID-19 vaccine in advance of you board your flight to the United States. Only constrained exceptions use,” the Facilities for Condition Control and Prevention’s up to date direction on worldwide journey states.

Djokovic, who received Wimbledon in July, was hoping both the U.S. gave him exception status or modified its restrictions ahead of the U.S. Open, but that did not materialize in new months, the previous No. 1-ranked player in the earth missed tournaments in Cincinnati and Montreal/Toronto owing to the journey limits in both equally the U.S. and Canada.

At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, even just before there was a vaccination from Covid-19, Djokovic built his stance on vaccinations obvious in a livestream in April 2020. “Personally, I am opposed to vaccination, and I wouldn’t want to be compelled by somebody to take a vaccine in purchase to be capable to vacation,” he said. “But if it will become obligatory, what will come about? I will have to make a choice. I have my personal feelings about the make any difference, and whether or not all those ideas will improve at some issue, I never know.”

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In January 2022, Djokovic’s unvaccinated position got him stuck in visa purgatory as he tried to defend his title at the Australian Open up. Right after getting detained, and then introduced, and then detained once more, Djokovic was ultimately deported from Australia without actively playing in the Grand Slam hardcourt event he had won nine periods formerly, which includes in 2019, 2020, and 2021.

Generally-outspoken tennis good John McEnroe voiced his not likely assistance for Djokovic Wednesday, declaring, “I don’t feel it’s fair” that Djokovic couldn’t engage in in the U.S. Open.

“I believe it’s a joke. I would have had the vaccine and absent and performed, but he’s obtained pretty potent beliefs and you have to regard that,” McEnroe claimed (by means of ESPN). “At this stage, in the pandemic, we’re 2.5 yrs in, I believe folks in all pieces of the planet know additional about it, and the thought that he can not journey here to participate in, to me is a joke.”

Djokovic earlier gained the U.S. Open in 2011, 2015, and 2018.

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