Tennis icon John McEnroe believes it is a ‘joke’ that Novak Djokovic is set to be barred from competing at the US Open next week.
Djokovic is hoping a sudden change to rules will allow him to enter the United States and compete in the Flushing Meadows tournament, which he has won on three occasions. The Serb is a major doubt to compete as he is currently prohibited from entering the country due to his vaccination status.
The United States Government recently introduced new measures set to relax Covid restrictions regarding time spent in quarantine and social distancing. It was suggested that Djokovic - the 21-time Grand Slam champion - had a chance of competing in the fourth and final major tournament of the year.
Under current rules, the Serb still cannot play in the Grand Slam - and after his triumph at Wimbledon, Djokovic conceded he did not feel confident about his chances of competing in New York. He has already missed out on preparation tournaments in North America, including in Montreal and Cincinnati.
Djokovic will miss out on the US Open unless he receives a special exemption like the one he applied for ahead of the Australian Open in January, which proved to be famously ill-fated. Four-time US Open champion McEnroe is furious at the prospect of Djokovic missing the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year.
“It’s not fair. It’s a joke,” the American said. “I would have had the vaccine and played but he’s got very strong beliefs and you have to respect those.
“At this point in the pandemic, we’re two and a half years in, people in all parts of the world know more about it. The idea he can’t travel here to play is a joke.”
Last month, Djokovic revealed ‘it is not the end of the world’ if he is unable to compete at the US Open. He believes there will be further opportunities to close in on Rafael Nadal’s record of 22 Grand Slam titles.
However, McEnroe warned of the mental impact of the uncertainty surrounding whether he can play or not will affect Djokovic. The 63-year-old said: “Training this past month or six weeks not knowing whether he’s going to play, that’s going to put a strain on you mentally.
“Just as it was when he got thrown out of Australia. It took him three or four months to get his head right.
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“Who’s to say [Djokovic] can’t do it for another couple of years? It’s not impossible for him to win three or four more. He can still get to 25.”
Djokovic’s stance against taking the vaccine has been incredibly public, and it all came to a head when he was deported from Australia in January after his visa documentation was deemed to be incorrect by local authorities. The Serb has struggled to play in tournaments, but he has continued to train as normal to prepare for tournaments like Wimbledon correctly.
Barring a sensational turn of events, it appears Djokovic will have to wait for another opportunity to draw level with great rival Nadal’s record of 22 Grand Slam titles. The Spaniard could overcome his abdominal injury and extend his record, although he recently pulled out of the Montreal Open while he lost to Borna Coric in Cincinnati.
The 2022 US Open main draw begins on Monday August 29 and runs for two weeks in New York.
