Novak Djokovic couldn't compete at the 2022 US Open and therefore he missed out on a chance to match Rafael Nadal at 22 Grand Slam titles.
The Serbian couldn't enter the country because of his vaccination status, but before he made the decision, he was well aware of what are the consequences going to be. During the press conference ahead of the 2022 Laver Cup, Novak Djokovic will play alongside his biggest rivals, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, he said:
"No, I don't have any regrets. I mean, I do feel sad that I wasn't able to play, but, you know, that was decision that I made. You know, I knew what the consequences will be, so I accepted them. That's it," the Serb said.
After explaining his situation, the 21-time Grand Slam champion didn't forget to congratulate this year's champion and the youngest world number 1, Carlos Alcaraz, who defeated Casper Ruud in the final of the 2022 US Open.
"I mean, I congratulate Alcaraz for winning US Open. He did it in an incredible fashion, you know, in three or four five-setter matches in the tournament. He's 19 years old and already No. 1 in the world. I mean, it's quite amazing what he has achieved so far. He's, I think, a great addition to our sport, a great star in making. Well, he's already a Grand Slam champion, so we can't speak about him as future, because he's already a present," Djokovic added.
"You know, I'm not used to making obviously the last 15, 20 years, longer breaks before the tournaments, but it is what it is. That's a kind of situation that I was in, and I'm just excited to be able to play here now and most of the other indoor season for the rest of this season," he said.
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