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‘Maybe There Is a Political Logic’ – Novak Djokovic Firmly Believes That His Popularity Is Stopping Him From US Open Participation

Published 07/01/2022, 5:50 AM EDT

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via Reuters

Novak Djokovic has had a turbulent 2022 season. Earlier this year, he was embroiled in a controversy after his visa was canceled on arrival in Australia to defend his Australian Open title. Subsequently, the Serb fought a long legal battle and was eventually barred from participating in the Australian Open after his deportation from Australia.

The former World Number 1 battled poor form following this controversy. He had early exits at the tournaments in Dubai and Monte Carlo. However, he came back strongly during the clay-court season to win the title in Rome. Currently participating in the Wimbledon Championships 2022, he recently talked about playing at the US Open later this year.

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Novak Djokovic slams ‘double standards’ on his US Open participation

During a recent interview, Djokovic opened up about playing in the last Grand Slam tournament of the season. He said, “No unvaccinated people can enter the USA as of this moment. I did hear unofficially that some people got away with it, some people who are not ‘famous’, but I would never even try to go to the USA if it is not allowed.”

USA Today via Reuters

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Talking about the political logic behind it, Djokovic went on to say, “I don’t see the medical logic behind it, that Tennys can play because he is a citizen of the USA, and I cannot. If I had a US passport or a green card, I would be able to play. Maybe there is a political logic behind it – not medical – but I would rather not get into that and you can understand why.”

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Djokovic to suffer a massive blow in the ATP rankings

Earlier this year, the tennis bodies stripped Wimbledon of ranking points due to their ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes. As a result, Djokovic will lose the 2000 ranking points that he earned last season.

via Reuters

WATCH THIS STORY: Rafael Nadal’s biggest fan, Serena Williams, cheers for his success at Wimbledon Championships 2022

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Due to this, the Serb will encounter a massive slip in the ATP rankings. Last month, he had already surrendered his Number 1 ranking after failing to defend his French Open title.

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Written by:

Vatsal Shah

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Vatsal Shah is a tennis author at EssentiallySports. With a Bachelor's degree in engineering, he is a die hard fan of tennis and sports in general. He is an ardent follower of Rafael Nadal and is inspired by his never-say-die attitude.
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Edited by:

Tony Thomas