Novak Djokovic vents in press conference

Novak Djokovic returns to talk about Australia and his now certain absence at the Us Open.

Novak Djokovic in a press conference after his victory against Kokkinakis returned to the issue of the vaccine, which is inevitably affecting his career: after Australia, the Serbian tennis player will most likely miss the Us Open as well.

“At the moment no unvaccinated person can enter the US. I had heard unofficially that someone got away with it, some person who is not ‘famous,’ but I would never try to go to the U.S. if it is not allowed. Some people think I made a mistake in Australia, but it was just the opposite — I had an exemption, etc., let’s not go back to that story. The conclusion is: if they tell me I can’t go, I won’t go, I would never put myself in that situation,” are the words reported by Ubitennis.

Djokovic thanked Tennys Sandgren for the support, “I wanted to thank him for the support he has given me publicly in this situation. What he says makes absolute sense: if unvaccinated players cannot compete at the US Open, then it should affect everyone. I don’t see the health logic behind it, why Tennys can can play as a U.S. citizen and I can’t. If I had a U.S. passport or a green card, I could play. Maybe there is a political logic behind it-not health-but I would rather not talk about it and you can see why.”