The first grand slam of Novak Djokovic in the year 2022 came after a lot of hurdles that the Serbian player had to get through. After the ban from the Australian authorities, the top-seeded player was in search of an opportunity to win a grand slam.
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However, the ban on unvaccinated personnel is becoming an issue for the player. Recently, former Tennis player John McEnroe condemned US vaccination rules and called for relaxation so that Djokovic can compete.
John McEnroe calls for Djokovic’s entry into the US Open
John McEnroe vouched for Djokovic’s participation at the US Open. He said, “These politicians are getting in the way too much – they did it in Australia.” He brought out the reference to the incident where the Serbian player was banned from playing.
'Ridiculous' US vaccine laws need to be relaxed for Djokovic, says McEnroe.
Agree. A vaccinated person riddled with Covid is free to travel to US. But Djokovic – who would have to test negative due to his unvaccinated status – is barred. That is absurd https://t.co/Mweluq9auS
— Oliver Brown (@oliverbrown_tel) July 11, 2022
The authorities also deported Djokovic from Australia. McEnroe further added, “Let the guy come in and play in the US. I mean come on. This is ridiculous. You can agree to be tested. There?s got to be a way around this.”
What has Novak Djokovic gone through before the US Open?
Ban from Australia had created an obstacle for the Serbian player to clinch a grand slam title. Later on, he was looking for opportunities to win the titles. Though he could not win at the French Open, he made sure to leave his mark at the grass-court major this year.
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Now, the player wants to claim victory at the US Open too. The three-time US Open winner will not be able to be a part of the US Open if the US authorities don’t relax the vaccination regulations.
Moreover, Djokovic showed his passion for the game by winning the Wimbledon Championships. He defeated?Nick Kyrgios in a four-set match and increased his count of grand slam titles to 21. Now, he is just one grand slam behind his arch-rival Rafael Nadal’s count.
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Djokovic’s participation at the US Open would be substantial, as it can help him equal his score with the Spaniard.