Novak Djokovic withdrew from the US Open on Thursday as his refusal to get vaccinated means he cannot travel to the United States in a move which had been widely anticipated.
It is the second Grand Slam the 35-year-old Serb will miss due to not being jabbed after he was deported prior to the Australian Open earlier this year.
“Good luck to my fellow players! I’ll keep in good shape and positive spirit and wait for an opportunity to compete again. See you soon tennis world.”
Organizers announced he would be replaced in the draw by a lucky loser from qualifying.
“Novak is a great champion and it is very unfortunate that he will be unable to compete at the 2022 US Open, as he is unable to enter the country due to the federal government’s vaccination policy for non-U.S. citizens,” Allaster said in a statement.
Tennis legend John McEnroe had blasted the Djokovic ban as a “joke”
Ironically, during the height of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, Djokovic was allowed to compete at New York where he was champion in 2011, 2015 and 2018.
Djokovic has not played since securing a seventh Wimbledon title in July.
In 2020, he was defaulted after accidentally hitting a line judge with a ball he had angrily swiped away.
Djokovic has received some sympathy from players on the tour.
