Djokovic to pull out of US Open due to Covid vaccine status

A petition is circulating for Novak Djokovic to be allowed to play at the US Open, but a sudden change in Covid-19 protocols in the US and Canada appears to mean the Serbian could stop playing the hard-court tournament in the US. .

Djokovic has refused to get a Covid-19 vaccine, but still, the 21-year-old Grand Slam winner is on the entry list for the ATP 1000 events in Montreal and Cincinnati, which are scheduled for Dec. Serves as warm-ups for the US Open in August and September. 11 in New York.

As for the US Open, which does not require vaccination, according to the Grand Slam rulebook, all participants will enter the main draw 42 days before the first Monday of the event according to their ranking positions, organizers said earlier.

Organizers of the North American tournament said that while there is no mandatory vaccination for athletes, they will respect the government’s stance on unvaccinated foreigners traveling to the country.

The former Serbian world number one said on a website that does not show his upcoming events that he was preparing for the US Open last week as if he had been cleared to compete in the last Grand Slam of the year despite not being vaccinated.

Djokovic’s team and organizers of three hard-court events in North America did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment on Tuesday.