Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from this year’s US Open tennis tournament, citing his inability to travel to New York on account of his abstention from taking the Covid-19 vaccine.
The US state department and Centers for Disease Control continue to require non-US citizens travelling to the country to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, restricting the Serbian tennis star from competing in the final Grand Slam tournament of the year, which begins on Monday.
It marks the second major appearance this year in which Djokovic, a 21-time Slam tournament champion, has been restricted from play due to his vaccination status. He was deported from Melbourne in January before a bid to compete in the Australian Open.
“Sadly, I will not be able to travel to NY this time for US Open,” Djokovic wrote on Twitter on Thursday. “Good luck to my fellow players! I’ll keep in good shape and positive spirit and wait for an opportunity to compete again.”
Djokovic was able to compete in last year’s US Open, which concluded in early September and in which he was the finalist, as it took place before the White House issued its current proclamation in October 2021 requiring non-citizen visitors to be fully vaccinated.
Stacey Allaster, tournament director for the US Open, confirmed Djokovic would not participate this year “as he is unable to enter the country due to the federal government’s vaccination policy for non-US citizens”, adding in a statement that it hopes to see him return in 2023.
Djokovic has been prominent among a clutch of celebrities and athletes refusing to take a Covid-19 vaccine for personal or religious reasons, and serving to illustrate the complexities of global travel as public policy shifts through the pandemic.
Kyrie Irving, a National Basketball Association player for the Brooklyn Nets, has prominently abstained from taking the vaccine and was restricted from competing for most of the 2021-2022 season due to a New York City ordinance that prohibited unvaccinated local employees from coming to work. Eric Adams, the city’s mayor, made an exception for athletes and performers in March.
Djokovic’s tussle with Australian immigration authorities in January stemmed from the Australian Open’s decision to grant him an exemption from vaccination requirement to enter the country, prompting a wide public backlash in the country and leading to a fortnight of visa appeals and denials before he was ultimately deported.
Credit: Source link