Novak Djokovic ruled out of 2022 US Open
World number 6 Novak Djokovic has been ruled out of the 2022 US Open, ensuring that he will miss out on two of the four majors in 2022. The 21-time Grand Slam winner will look to return to action in the majors in 2023.
Djokovic has been denied permission to enter into the United States of America due to his stance on vaccination. The 35-year-old Serb has refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and will not be permitted to participate in the US Open competition. He also missed the Australian Open as a result of his refusal to get vaccinated.
Djokovic would have been looking to exact his revenge on world number one Daniil Medvedev, who defeated him in an emotionally charged final in 2021. A three-time US Open champion, Djokovic won the last of his three titles in New York in 2018 and was hopeful of claiming the title once more. He dropped to sixth in the world in 2022 despite winning at Wimbledon but the decision to strip the tournament of ranking points meant that his win had no impact on his ranking.
Djokovic joins a list of illustrious athletes, such as the Chelsea duo of N’Golo Kante and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, to have been denied entry into the US this year due to their vaccination status. His absence will provide a chance for Rafael Nadal to win a record-extending 23rd Grand Slam crown, while Medvedev will look to retain his crown and teenager Carlos Alcaraz Garfia will be a dark horse for the 2022 US Open title.
