‘Very Sad News’ – Rafael Nadal Sympathizes With the Absence of Novak Djokovic at the 2022 US Open

Things haven’t been going the way Novak Djokovic would have liked. Recently, he was forced to withdraw from the US Open after being denied entry into the United States owing to his vaccination status. As soon as Djokovic’s decision about his participation in the US Open came out, many renowned personalities across the globe reacted to this news. Additionally, his fellow players also sympathized with him. Amongst them was his long-time rival and Spanish legend, Rafael Nadal.

With this, he misses the second Grand Slam tournament this season after suffering a similar fate at the Australian Open. Moreover, he also missed almost every Masters tournament played in the American swing, both in the first half of the season and now.

Rafael Nadal reacts to Novak Djokovic missing the US Open

During an interview, the 22-time Grand Slam champion talked about Djokovic’s absence at this year’s US Open. He said, “It’s very sad news. Not having one of the best players of the history in the draw of a grand slam is an important miss.”

READ MORE: ‘Our Power-Mad Despots Have Denied You Entry’ – Gina Carano, Monica Crowley, and Others React as Novak Djokovic Is Forced to Withdraw From the 2022 US Open

Further, he went on to add, “We want to have the best field possible. But the sport is, in some ways, bigger than any player.” 

Other renowned personalities like Gina Carano, Monica Crowley, and others also reacted to Djokovic, missing the last Grand Slam tournament of the season.

Djokovic will make a comeback in the Davis Cup Finals next month. Subsequently, he will play in the Laver Cup alongside Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray.

Djokovic’s most heartbreaking moment

The former World Number 1 revealed in a recent interview with Graham Bensinger that his Rio 2016 Olympics defeat against Juan Martin del Potro was the most painful defeat of his illustrious tennis career. Djokovic had come with high hopes for the tournament. However, his campaign ended in the first round with a straight-set defeat against del Potro.

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Djokovic will face a massive slip in the ATP rankings when they will be updated post the US Open. He will lose 1200 ranking points due to his absence from the tournament.

What are your thoughts on Djokovic’s absence from this year’s US Open?