Novak Djokovic, a former colleague goes down flat: “A joke.”

Novak Djokovic, a former colleague goes down flat: “A joke.”

The Novak Djokovic case continues to hold court. The Serbian tennis player is in danger of skipping the US Open because he is not vaccinated: “It’s not fair,” John McEnroe ruled. “I think it’s a joke. I would have taken the vaccine and gone and played, but he has very strong beliefs and you have to respect them. At this point in the pandemic, after two and a half years, I think people in all parts of the world know more about it, and the idea that he can’t come here and play for me is a joke.”

“Next time he will be a year older, but it looks like his body is still okay. Who’s to say he can’t do it for another couple of years? Let’s say he will win three or four more,” he continued to Eurosport. “It’s absolutely not impossible. Despite these absences, he can still get to 25 Slams. I also think, though, that it has become more complicated to do that, because what he is experiencing wears you down mentally. Training for a month or six weeks without knowing whether you’re going to play or not puts a mental strain on you. Just like when he was ruled out of Australia. I think it took him three, four months to recover.”

The former tennis player closed by talking about Serena Williams: “I would be surprised if she wants to stay in the tennis world, it seems to me she has other plans in mind. Maybe some occasional appearances, that yes, or as a mentor for someone at a lower level. But as a regular coach or commentator, that doesn’t seem like her will.”