The former world No. 1’s fate is sealed. Novak Djokovic is not to partake in the US Open as he cannot travel to New York because he decides to remain unvaccinated.
Those who are ardent followers of Tennis know all about the drama that unfolded in the first Grand Slam of the year. Novak’s decision to remain unvaccinated ahead of the Australian Open saw him sit out of the tournament.
The player had fought for his place. And it resulted in an ugly saga in the history of the sport. Hence, the player has decided not to fight this time.
Djokovic confirms his absence from the US Open
Djokovic posted a statement on Twitter that he wrote, “Sadly, I will not be able to travel to NY this time for US Open.” He further wished luck to his fellow players and ensured everyone that he would keep himself in competitive shape for future opportunities.
This move by Djokovic has been met by mixed reactions from all across the world. On the one hand, fans are calling him out for not partaking and putting himself ahead of the game and fans’ emotions. While there are also people like Radio Celebrity Clay Travis who hailed him.
Netizens react to Djokovic’s decision to skip US Open
Travis commented on how Djokovic has taken a stand for what he believes in, “Novak Djokovic gave up a chance at two majors he would have been favoured to win over his refusal to get the useless covid shot,” Travis said. “He actually gave up something by standing on principle, something you can’t say about any woke athlete over the past decade.”
Similarly, a fellow Tennis Player, Casper Ruud, also came out supporting Djokovic. Ruud said, “think it’s sad that politics will get in his way, or these rules will get in his way… He has won there many times before and brought a great crowd to the stadium. You can argue that it’s in the best interest of the country. He’s a big superstar. Having him and Rafa in the final would be so epic.”
However, his stand doesn’t sit well with fans. They want to see their favourite players on the court, not behind electronic devices’ screens. Hence one of the frustrated on Twitter wrote, “these athletes are so delusional about their own self-importance….”
While another one pointed out, “Whether or not Novak shows up, those seats on Arthur Ashe will be filled regardless….”
These reactions show that fans are unhappy with how Djokovic has gone about this situation. He has put himself ahead of everything that has made him a celebrity. Therefore, there will be supporters, and there will be haters of his decisions.
But what matters is that the sport of tennis should not suffer from all of the off-court drama. And the fans should get to witness flawless tennis actions in the upcoming Grand Slam.
