Novak Djokovic Set for US Open Comeback as Covid Restrictions Lift
ATP
Novak Djokovic will be able to play at the US Open this year after the US Senate voted in favor of lifting the COVID-19 measures that prevented him from entering the country and playing at the event last year.
When the 2022 US Open was held, the United States had COVID-19 measures in place that prevented foreign nationals from entering the United States if they were not vaccinated against the virus.
Novak Djokovic famously rejected the vaccine, citing concerns about what goes into his body. The decision to reject the vaccine proved hugely controversial because he was one of the few tennis players who opted against it, but the decision to not allow him to enter the country on exemption also proved to be highly controversial, with several players speaking out against that.
The measure stood in place, and Djokovic missed the event, having to witness Carlos Alcaraz winning his maiden Grand Slam trophy. The Spaniard also reached the World No. 1 spot thanks to his win in New York. He recently rose to the World No. 1 rank again.
He won’t miss the event this year as the US Senate just voted to lift the COVID-19 measures, which would otherwise prevent him from entering the country.
As per the Serbian publication Telegraf, the vote was 68-23 in favor of lifting them. That’s a lucky break for Djokovic, who would have had to hope for an exemption to play at the event. Considering that he didn’t get it the year before, it was rather unlikely that he would have gotten it.
This way, he doesn’t have to hope for anything, but he is cleared to enter the country as an unvaccinated individual, and fans will have a chance to see him at the event later this year.
As for his current schedule, the Serbian is expected to play in Monte Carlo and Banja Luka. The Madrid Open remains a question mark for Djokovic, even though he appears on the entry list. On the other hand, the Italian Open in Rome should be a given on his schedule, as well as the French Open.
