Casper Ruud comes down hard on the Novak Djokovic issue.
Casper Ruud comes down hard on the Novak Djokovic issue.
Novak Djokovic’s exclusion from the US Open has sparked a very vociferous debate. At the microphones of Eurosport, Casper Ruud also wanted to have his say: “It’s sad that politics gets in the way of such matters. We are talking about an individual sport, where everyone thinks about themselves first. Novak is chasing Rafa in the fight for the most Slam titles, so there is a lot at stake obviously right now.”
“I also believe that his presence here would have been good for the country and especially for the tournament. He has played so many times, he has won so many times, he has always generated an incredible atmosphere and he has always entertained people. To have him and Rafa in the final would have been epic, everyone knows perfectly well what is at stake so I don’t think his absence is fair. I won’t make a big deal out of it, of course, but I am sincerely sorry.”
“In general, I don’t think sports and politics should mix. The result usually ends up being bad, and this is a demonstration of that. It’s unfortunate for him especially because he didn’t receive any points for winning Wimbledon, I think he is not a threat to public health even if he is not vaccinated,” Ruud concluded.
