LONDON (AP) — Novak Djokovic is still awaiting news on whether he will be allowed to return to the Australian Open in January after missing this year’s tournament for not being vaccinated against COVID-19.
“It’s really out of my hands right now,” Djokovic said at Thursday’s Laver Cup. “I hope I get good news.”
Djokovic is a 21-time Grand Slam champion – second overall behind Rafael Nadal (22) and one ahead of Roger Federer (20) among men, and won a record nine of those trophies at Melbourne Park.
But he was expelled from Australia last January after a 10-day legal saga that ended with his visa being revoked; Initially, two health boards and Tennis Australia granted him exemption from strict vaccination regulations so he could play in the Australian Open.
Djokovic, 35, from Serbia, insisted that he could not be vaccinated against the coronavirus disease, even if it meant skipping tennis matches.
He has missed two of the four Grand Slams this season, including the US Open, which ended this month. The United States and Canada currently ban entry of foreign nationals who have not received COVID-19 vaccines, so they missed four other North American events in 2022.
Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals at the French Open in June to France, and in July, England won the Wimbledon title.
The Laver Cup, which kicks off on Friday, will be Djokovic’s first game since Wimbledon.
“I have no regrets. So, I’m really sorry that I couldn’t play[sa US Open]but it was a decision I made and I know what the consequences will be,” he said. “So I accepted them, that’s all.”
Djokovic smashed Roger Federer’s record by placing more number one on the ATP standings than anyone else, and is now in seventh place this week, partly due to lack of activity and partly due to no qualifying points. at Wimbledon this year.
“I’m not used to doing this, of course there have been more breaks between tournaments in the last 15-20 years, but that’s the case,” said Djokovic. “I saw myself in such a situation. Now I am happy to be able to play here and many other closed (tournament) until the end of the season.
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Source: Breitbart