By Chantal Da Silva -
NBC News
The US Open has confirmed that Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic will not be able to play in the tournament next month unless he is fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
In a statement released Wednesday, the US Open said that while it does not have its own vaccination mandate for players, it will respect the US government's position regarding travel to the country by unvaccinated non-US citizens.
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The United States requires non-citizens to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus in order to enter the country.
Consequently, Djokovic, who has repeatedly expressed that he will not be vaccinated, will not be able to enter the country.
"In accordance with the Grand Slam Rule Book, all eligible players are automatically entered into the men's and women's singles main draws based on ranking 42 days prior to the first Monday of the event," the US Opens explained in its statement. .
"The US Open does not have a vaccination mandate for players, but will respect the position of the United States Government regarding travel to the country by unvaccinated non-US citizens," they added.
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Djokovic, who was also prevented from playing at the Australian Open due to his vaccination status, had said after his victory in London that he expected “some good news from the US”, according to the British newspaper The Guardian.
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The 35-year-old tennis star had been included in the entry list for the final Grand Slam of the year on Wednesday but, as the US Open pointed out, this is routine and does not mean he is guaranteed to play.
Djokovic has previously said that he was willing to sacrifice competing in tournaments to remain unvaccinated against COVID-19.
"The principles of making decisions about my body are more important than any title, or anything else," he told the BBC in his first interview after being expelled from Australia over the matter in February.
Serbian Novak Djokovic reacts during an exhibition match in Bosnia against Croatian Ivan Dodig on July 13, 2022. Armin Durgut / AP
"I understand the consequences of my decision," he said, confirming that he was still not vaccinated and that he was willing to sacrifice titles to remain so.
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The US Open said the United States led all nations with 15 women and 13 men gaining direct entry.
On the entry list was Serena Williams, who has won six US Open titles.
“Two of the 15 American women, Serena Williams and Taylor Townsend, have entered with a special ranking: Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, has entered with a protected ranking of No. 16, while Townsend has entered with a protected ranking of No. No. 84,” she said, adding that Top 10 players Jessica Pegula and Danielle Collins were the highest-ranked American women on the field at No. 7 and No. 8, respectively.
The American men are led by No. 13 Taylor Fritz and No. 17 Reilly Opelka, with three other Americans among the top four alternates.