Fresh blow for Djokovic in US anti-vax decision

1 year ago 75

Novak Djokovic has copped a caller stroke with United States question authorities extending the request for non-citizens to beryllium vaccinated against COVID-19 until astatine slightest April 10 this year.

Leading tennis newsman Ben Rothenberg tweeted that meant that if Djokovic remained unvaccinated, it would mean different twelvemonth of missing tournaments successful Indian Wells and Miami.

It could besides impact the 21 clip Grand Slam champion's quality to play successful the US Open aft helium was forced to miss past year's tournament, won by Carlos Alcaraz.

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The quality came aft Serena Williams' erstwhile coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, expressed fears that Djokovic would conflict with the load of "emotional baggage" astatine the Australian Open.

The Serbian fable was sensationally deported from Australia earlier past year's tourney aft refusing to beryllium vaccinated against COVID-19.

Djokovic has been granted support to play astatine this year's Melbourne expansive slam and received a lukewarm invited from the assemblage successful his archetypal circular triumph astatine the Adelaide International.

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But the unit and media attraction volition ratchet up importantly erstwhile the Australian Open gets underway connected January 16, arsenic good arsenic the instrumentality of immoderate unhappy memories.

"It's going to beryllium pugnacious for Novak successful Australia, that's for sure," Mouratoglou told Eurosport.

"He going to transportation a large affectional baggage. He's been done truthful much, emotionally speaking. Nobody is immune. It's going to beryllium hard.

"I anticipation helium doesn't autumn isolated similar helium did astatine the US Open 2021 due to the fact that determination was excessively much. But it comes aft astir apt a play wherever helium has had a batch of rest.

"It's the pre-season, it's the off-season and there's nary accent of competition. So he's going to beryllium emotionally rested, which is good. And past helium won't commencement straight with the Australian Open, truthful he'll person clip to get utilized to the ambiance there."

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