Djokovic announced his withdrawal from the final Grand Slam tournament of the year via Twitter on Thursday, hours before the draw for the event was revealed. “Unfortunately, I will not be able to travel to New York this time for the US Open,” Djokovic wrote, wishing his teammates the best of luck and saying he would “keep in good shape and positive spirit and wait for the opportunity to compete again . “ Play is scheduled to begin at Flushing Meadows on Monday. Djokovic is a 35-year-old from Serbia who holds 21 major championships, one behind Rafael Nadal for the men’s record. Three of Djokovic’s Slam titles came at the US Open, in 2011, 2015 and 2018. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to travel to New York this time for the US Open. Thank you —@DjokerNole He has also been runner-up there half a dozen times, including last season when his pursuit of the first calendar Grand Slam in men’s tennis since 1969 ended with a final loss to Daniil Medvedev. Foreign nationals who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 cannot currently enter the US or Canada, and Djokovic has said he will not get the shots, even if it prevents him from playing in some tournaments. USA Tennis has said it will follow government rules on the vaccination regime for this year’s Open. There is no vaccine mandate at the tournament for players or their support teams — meaning an unvaccinated American would be allowed to compete — and spectators will not be required to wear masks. “Novak is a great champion and it is very unfortunate that he will not be able to compete in the 2022 US Open as he cannot enter the country due to the federal government’s vaccination policy for non-US citizens,” said Stacey Alastair. US Open tournament director. “We look forward to welcoming Novak back to the 2023 US Open.” A statement from the US Open: pic.twitter.com/E5ijwpkKjS —@usopen Djokovic missed the Australian Open in January after a protracted legal saga that ended with him being deported from that country for not having been vaccinated against COVID-19. He also participated in four major tournaments in North America in 2022, including Montreal and Cincinnati recently. He played at the French Open, where he lost in the quarterfinals to Nadal, and at Wimbledon, where Djokovic won the title. WATCHES | Djokovic claims 7th Wimbledon title and 21st career Grand Slam title:
Djokovic beats Kyrgios for 7th Wimbledon title
The top star won his 4th straight Wimbledon title by defeating Nick Kyrgios 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (3). After beating Nick Kyrgios in the Wimbledon final on July 10, Djokovic said he would “love” to play in the final Grand Slam tournament of the year at Flushing Meadows, but also acknowledged, “I’m not planning to get vaccinated.” About three weeks later, Djokovic posted on social media that he was hopeful of getting a chance to play at the US Open, writing: “I’m preparing as if I’m allowed to compete while I’m waiting to hear if there’s room for me to travel to the USA. Fingers crossed!” Djokovic has spent more weeks at No. 1 than anyone else in the history of the ATP rankings. He is No. 6 this week, in part because no ranking points were awarded at Wimbledon this year. Among the other players who will not be at the US Open for various reasons is No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev, the 2020 runner-up in New York. 2016 champion Angelique Kerber. French Open 2019 Finalist Marketa Vondrousova; Gael Monfils and Reilly Opelka.
