Former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic has repeatedly expressed frustration about Novak Djokovic’s inability to enter the United States to compete in the US Open. He also defended the Serb on several occasions.
Djokovic is banned from participating in this year’s rendition of the US Open due to his unvaccinated status. Due to his refusal to be vaccinated, the Serbian champion has been dubbed the “leader” of the anti-vax.
“I respect and appreciate him, he made a decision that he will not change. When they proclaim him as a leader, as someone having a bad influence on people, it is false,” Ivanisevic said.
“He doesn’t want to get vaccinated, he doesn’t want to put it into his body, and he’s never told others not to get vaccinated.”
The Croatian coach’s take on the issue has invited a range of reactions from fans.
“If Nole says it’s not a big deal if he doesn’t play in NY, why does his coach talk about it every day?” a fan posted on Twitter.
Meanwhile, another fan said that Ivanisevic’s remarks are pointless because the U.S. government is under no obligation to change its rules.
The 50-year-old said in an interview that he had a better chance of getting a wildcard and winning the Croatia Open 2022 than Djokovic competing in the US Open.
“It’s more likely that I receive a wild card for the Umag 250 and win that they allow Djokovic to play the US Open,” Ivanisevic said.
US Open organizers have said they would not seek an exemption to allow Djokovic to compete unless current border restrictions are relaxed.
Coaching Djokovic ‘is an honor and a pleasure’, says Ivanisevic
The Croatian native recently completed a three-year coaching stint with the Serb. In a recent interview, he said he was blessed to have coached Djokovic.
“It is an honor and a pleasure [to coach Djokovic] – a man who has conquered everything and is still hungry and eager for success,” he said
Ivanisevic also praised Djokovic and Rafael Nadal for surpassing Roger Federer.
“If someone had said ten years ago that both of them would surpass Federer, they would not have believed it,” he said.
“Even before I was on the team, I said that both Novak and Nadal would have more Grand Slam titles than Roger, and now it is coming true. It’s hard to say how much he [Djokovic] will have in the end. They’re denying him the US Open now.”
Djokovic was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the French Open by eventual champion Nadal before winning his 21st major title at Wimbledon earlier this month. With his fourth consecutive title in London, he has closed the gap with Nadal in the all-time Grand Slam standings.
However, Djokovic lost 2000 ranking points due to Wimbledon not offering ranking points this season. As a result, he dropped four spots to seventh in the ATP rankings.
Ivanisevic expressed hope that the Serb will be allowed to participate in the Australian Open next year and extend his record.
“Australia is good news that mandatory vaccinations have been waived, but the government has to forgive him the three-year sentence. That might be okay. If they’re healthy, I don’t know where they’ll end up,” said Ivanisevic.