Novak Djokovic remained inflexible on Saturday on his refusal of the covid vaccine even if this ethical position, which already made him miss the Australian Open in January, was also to prevent him from playing the US Open this summer.
The American authorities maintain to this day the obligation to vaccinate to enter the territory of the United States and when he was asked, in a press conference before Wimbledon, if he remained closed to vaccination, the Serb replied laconically and firmly : "
Yes
".
“
Are you still closed to this idea?
“, insisted the journalist.
“
Yes
”, confirmed Djokovic for whom Wimbledon could therefore be the last Grand Slam tournament of the season.
“
To date, given the circumstances, I am not allowed to enter the United States.
It is an additional motivation to play well here (at Wimbledon)
”, noted the Serb who is aiming for a seventh title on the London lawn.
“
I would like to go to the United States, but for the moment it is not possible.
There's not much I can do.
It really depends on the American government to accept or not to let an unvaccinated person enter the territory
, ”he insisted.
A strong consequence in the world ranking?
Not being vaccinated, he was expelled from Australia in January just before the start of the first Major of the year where he was aiming for a tenth coronation, then he was beaten in the quarter-finals at Roland-Garros where he defended his title, and Wimbledon won't earn him any points in the standings because the ATP decided not to distribute any to the British Major due to its refusal to let the Russians and Belarusians play in retaliation for the war in Ukraine.
So for Djokovic, who failed in 2021 in the final in New York in his quest for the Grand Slam after winning the Australian Open, Roland-Garros and Wimbledon, the 2022 season will be expensive in terms of ATP points and places in the ranking.
Djokovic, currently world number 3, has won the US Open three times (2011, 2015 and 2018) and has 20 Grand Slam titles to date, like Roger Federer, but two lengths behind Rafael Nadal who won back-to-back this year the Australian Open and Roland-Garros.