Novak Djokovic looks set to miss his second grand slam of the year with the US Open. The former world number 1 from Serbia has refused to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. And foreigners who want to enter the United States must still be able to show a vaccination certificate. A three-time winner, Djokovic expected exceptions, but this was not the case.

Novak Djokovic’s refusal to be vaccinated against the coronavirus left the Serb in a lot of trouble last season. It all started with a big story in Australia. There he was even arrested and eventually deported from the country.

Win at Wimbledon

After that looks like Djokovic no grand slams allowed. France and England still had the same rules at that time. In the end, it was relaxed and Serbia was allowed to perform. It even won him at Wimbledon. As a result, Djokovic is still one grand slam behind Rafael Nadal and one ahead of Roger Federer in the all-time rankings.

Djokovic hopes to make up for that deficit at the US Open, even though he has won the tournament since 2018. But it looks like that won’t be the case this year either. The US requires foreigners to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus to enter the country. Djokovic hopes the US Open will grant tennis players an exception, but tournament officials say they will respect the country’s rules.

“I don’t understand”

“If I have a US passport or a green card, I can play. I do not understand that. There may be political logic behind it – not medical – but I’d rather not discuss it and you can understand why,” was Novak Djokovic’s response to the decision. Tennis Course. The Serb said he would not go to court.