"I'm not vaccinated and I'm not planning to get vaccinated" - Novak Djokovic lays bare US Open plans
Novak Djokovic laid bare his scheduling intentions for the rest of the year, including the US Open, following his Wimbledon win on Sunday. Djokovic stressed that he has no intention of getting vaccinated in a bid to be allowed into the United States of America.
The Serb has long maintained that he will not take the jab against COVID-19, meaning that he has had to forego multiple tournaments worldwide, given some countries do not allow unvaccinated individuals into their country.
As things stand, the United States of America does not allow unvaccinated travelers to enter its borders. Should the rule remain in place for the next few weeks, Djokovic will not be able to travel to the country, let alone play in the US Open.
Speaking to the media after his Wimbledon triumph, the 21-time Major champion pointed out that his only hope is for the Joe Biden Government to lift vaccine-related restrictions or offer medical exemptions.
"I'm not vaccinated and I'm not planning to get vaccinated," Novak Djokovic said. "The only good news I can have is that they eliminate that protocol that only people who are vaccinated or have some exemption can enter the country. I do not know if it will be possible."
Novak Djokovic: "I'm not vaccinated and I'm not planning to get vaccinated."
Says it's unlikely he will get an exemption so only chance for the US Open is the rules changing.
#Wimbledon
"I'm on vacation, I don't know if I'll play a tournament soon or not" - Novak Djokovic
Elaborating upon his plans, Djokovic revealed that he would be taking a two-week-long vacation after his tiring exploits at the All England Club.
"I'm on vacation. I don't know if I'll play a tournament soon or not," said the Serb. "I'll rest for the next two weeks, as it's been a very tough and quite tiring tournament."
He added that he would not give up hope regarding his US Open participation for the time being.
"I'll wait if there's any good news from America, because I'd really love to go there," said the Serb. "I'd like to play a couple of tournaments before the US Open. If that doesn't happen then I have to see what the schedule will be like."
Unless there is a swift change in US immigration law, #Wimbledon will be Djokovic’s last Grand Slam event of the year.
US requires vaccination for foreigners to enter, and Djokovic has firmly said he has ruled out getting vaccinated, entrenching himself as an anti-vax posterboy. twitter.com/benrothenberg/…
Djokovic insisted that he does not need to play a certain number of tournaments to qualify for the season-ending ATP Finals. He revealed that his team has informed him that players who win Grand Slams automatically qualify for the ATP Finals unless they are ranked outside the top 20.
"To be honest I doubt I'm going to play tournaments or look for tournaments. From what I understand from my people, winning a Grand Slam qualifies you for the ATP Finals, unless you are outside the top 20, which I don't know," Djokovic said. "With the points accumulated so far, I think I will be inside the top 20. I don't feel any pressure or need to play a certain schedule."
The 21-time Major champion expressed relief that his record for most weeks as a World No. 1 looks safe for the foreseeable future. He also added that he plans to discuss his schedule with coach Goran Ivanisevic, mentioning that he could participate in the Laver Cup and the Davis Cup.
"I have the achievement of most weeks as number one in the world, something I worked very hard on and it is very difficult for them to overcome," he added. "Goran and I will have to talk and plan the schedule. We will see what news comes from the United States in the coming weeks. I could also play in the Laver Cup, the Davis Cup,... We'll see."