Former World No.1 Novak Djokovic is hoping that the United States reconsiders its COVID 19 vaccine mandate. Djokovic talked about the next major event, the US Open following his Wimbledon victory.
The Serbian international defeated Nick Kyrgios in four sets on Monday. He won Wimbledon for the fourth time in a row and the seventh time overall, moving him one step closer to Rafael Nadal in terms of grand slam titles.
However, because he will very likely miss the US Open, Wimbledon appears to be his final Grand Slam event of the year. As an unvaccinated foreigner, Djokovic currently will be denied entry into the United States.
Regardless of the consequences, he continues to refuse the COVID vaccine shot. He is still hoping for a different outcome when the US Open begins in August.
“I’m not vaccinated and I’m not planning to get vaccinated so the only good news I can have is them removing the mandated green vaccine card or whatever you call it to enter United States or exemption,” The 35-year-old said on Sunday.
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
— James Gray (@jamesgraysport) July 10, 2022
Despite the fact that the chances of exemption are slim. If there is an exception, Djokovic is unsure what it entails alongside what he needs to do to take advantage of that opportunity.
“I don’t know. I don’t think exemption is realistically possible. If that is possibility, I don’t know what exemption would be about.” he continued.
Djokovic began this season tied for the most major titles won with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer (20 championships). His unwillingness to be vaccinated, on the other hand, contributed to his previous deportation from Australia before the Australian Open earlier this year.
On the other hand, Nadal, who has consistently stated his support for the COVID vaccines, described the vaccine as the “only way out of this nightmare”. The Spaniard ended up winning the Australian Open to get his 21st Grand Slam title.
Djokovic’s next move and the importance of winning Wimbledon
The Serb is reportedly unable to play in Australia in 2023 due to visa issues. During his post-match press conference following his victory over Kyrgios on Sunday, he acknowledged that he didn’t know when he’d be able to play another tournament game.
Meanwhile, Djokovic plans to take a break because the last few months have been physically and psychologically grueling for him.
“I am on vacation,” current World No. 7 described when questioned about his short-term plans. “Whether or not I’m playing any tournament soon, I’ll definitely be resting for the next couple weeks because it has been quite an exhausting and demanding period for me the last few months. A lot of tennis, which I was very happy about. I got what I wanted here,”
Djokovic is determined to win his fourth US Open title after losing in the final to Daniil Medvedev last year. Due to his current situation, the three-time US Open champion stated that he will patiently wait for the wind to blow in his favor. If this does not happen, Djokovic will have to change his plans.
“Then I’ll wait hopefully for some good news from USA because I would really love to go there. That would be probably the next big tournament, the next big swing, playing a tournament or two before US Open and US Open. If that doesn’t happen, then I have to see what the schedule will look like.” he voiced his hopefulness.
Winning Wimbledon is a valuable life lesson for Djokovic. He started his journey in 2018 after having elbow surgery, and despite the difficulties, he worked his way back up the rankings. Djokovic admitted that beating Kyrgios gave him a sense of “relief,” particularly after his prolonged deportation from Australia.
“It’s not a coincidence that this place has such relevance in my life and career. It’s a relief, as well, considering what I’ve been through this year — of course, it adds more value and more significance and more emotions.” Djokovic explained.