Russians and Belarusians to Go to US Open but Djokovic will Unlikely
Russia and Belarus may compete in the US Open under a neutral flag, according to the US Tennis Association (USTA), which oversees the sport. The men’s singles tournament is currently won by Daniil Medvedev.
Novak Djokovic, on the other hand, is now unable to compete since he has not had the Covid-19 vaccine.
Tennis players from Russia and Belarus will be allowed to compete in the US Open in Flushing Meadows in August, but Novak Djokovic will not be able to due to Covid-19 limitations.
Belarusian and Russian teams have flown neutral flags since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine earlier this year.
Wimbledon, which begins on June 27, has precluded them from participating in the United Kingdom this season.
According to USTA President Lew Sherr, Russians and Belarusians will be allowed to participate in the Grand Slam in order to “make them accountable for the acts and decisions of their governments.”
Only Russians have been allowed to compete in several sports, including football World Cup qualifying play-offs and team tennis championships such as the Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup.
Daniil Medvedev, the current US Open winner and world No. 1, as well as No. 7 Andrey Rublev and No. 6 Aryna Sabalenka, will all be eligible to compete in the year’s fourth Grand Slam.
If Djokovic is not adequately safeguarded against Covid-19, the 20-time Grand Slam champion will be ejected off the court.
Although the majority of tourists are still required to provide confirmation of immunization, the United States no longer needs international visitors to show proof of negative testing in order to enter the country.
New rules, but Djokovic still out
The new legislation entered into effect on June 12, 2022, when the country’s vulnerability to the virus diminished. To travel freely throughout the United States, no longer will a certificate expressing hatred for Covid be necessary
The requirement that non-natives finish their vaccine round before admittance has not altered. Novak Djokovic is been ruled out of events in Toronto, Cincinnati, and potentially the US Open.
Given Wimbledon’s 2,000-point safe exit, the No. 3 ATP player will have to wait a long time before fighting for the No. 1 position. If Djokovic loses against Novak Djokovic, he might be ruled out of the ATP Finals in Turin.
Although it is no longer a top priority or a short-term goal, Serbia’s champion will continue to stand in front of the window in the hopes that the government would reconsider the legislation.
Novak Djokovic and the vaccine
He placed himself at risk by refusing to get the Covid-19 immunization.
Even if no additional doses are given, the impact of these conversations and conflicts may disrupt the routines of all of these tennis players. As a result, Novak Djokovic’s 2022 season got off to a rocky start when he was refused admittance into the Australian Open after a period of uncertainty and many unknowns.
Due to illness, the Serbian was forced to retire from the Monte Carlo Master 1000 after the first race, and he was unable to recover until he raced in his home event in Belgrade. The 35-year-old won his first match at the Internazionali Bnl d’Italia in May, but he has yet to win at Roland Garros.
For the time being, put the issues linked with Covid on hold. The Belgrade native is apparently examining the landscape outside the window in order to forecast its future evolution. The great majority of genuine events, from the Masters 1000 to the most recent Grand Slam, take place in this state.