Novak Djokovic won’t be playing at the 2022 Cincinnati Masters, which puts his US Open participation at serious risk as well.
Djokovic can’t legally enter the United States of America as of now. According to the rules in place, unvaccinated foreign nationals like himself can’t enter the United States due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The Serbian player famously refused to get vaccinated, believing in freedom of choice, but that’s not the belief shared by all countries. The United States, much like Canada, famously doesn’t allow unvaccinated foreign nationals to enter the country.
As low as a safety hazard one unvaccinated individual might be, all pandemics start with one person, so being careful is generally the norm. Djokovic was well aware that he might face difficulties because of it, but he was willing to go through that.
His unvaccinated status already prevented him from playing at the Sunshine Double earlier this year as well as the Canadian Open recently. He won’t be playing at the Cincinnati Masters either because of it, and he is likely to miss the US Open.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the USA did relax some of the rules; however, they didn’t drop the rule pertaining to Djokovic and his ability to enter the country.
Those restrictions might be looked at some time in the future, but with the US Open right around the corner, it likely won’t come in time for him. There are some rumors of a potential exemption; however, nothing has materialized as of now.
Djokovic remains hopeful, confirming to the media that he is preparing as if he’s going to play as he awaits news.
"I am preparing as if I will be allowed to compete while I await to hear if there is any room for me to travel to the US. Fingers crossed!"
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