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News has broken within the last 24 hours that Novak Djokovic will not be competing at the US Open this year. Many thought that this would be the case anyway. But up until the final few hours prior to the release of the men’s draw, there was still a glimmer of hope for fans of the Serb. However, Djokovic withdrew from the event within a few hours prior to the draw being done. This has brought him a fair bit of backlash from fans around the world already.
Some say that he should have withdrawn sooner. Others believe that by doing this he has taken the opportunity away from other players. But it’s important to point out that we don’t really know what was going on behind the scenes. Perhaps he was waiting for a last-minute exception, or maybe there was deliberation between the USTA and the US government. Who really knows?
Anyway, I figured now was an appropriate time to share a few details regarding his withdrawal. So below, I will be covering the reasons why he has been forced to withdraw. And I will also take a look at what this means from a broader perspective.
US Open 2022 – Djokovic’s Absence Detailed
Contents
As of August 25h, 2022, we all found out that Novak Djokovic would not be competing at the 2022 US Open. Prior to this announcement, fans and even other players were still in limbo as to whether he could compete or not. And in case you needed any reminders at all, the reason that there were doubts over this is all due to his vaccination status.
As an unvaccinated individual, Djokovic has faced problems with travel throughout the 2022 season. This all kicked off in Australia back in January, and things remained difficult for Djokovic for a good time after that. Of course, he was allowed to compete at the French Open and Wimbledon. But that was only due to the relaxation of COVID restrictions in both France and the United Kingdom. No such restrictions have been lifted yet in the USA, which brings me to the reason for his withdrawal:
Unable to Travel to the USA
The main reason that Djokovic has withdrawn from the 2022 US Open is because of his inability to enter the United States. As per the government restrictions, non-US citizens have to be vaccinated to come to the country. And since Novak Djokovic would be coming there on a visa, he is not allowed to enter and compete at the US Open. There are certain exceptions in place as per the government guidelines, but apparently, Djokovic did not try to obtain an exception through any kind of angle.
On Thursday, August 25th, Djokovic released a statement via social media stating that he would not be able to travel. Around the same time, the USTA released a statement confirming that Djokovic would not be competing. Both statements provided the main reason why he cannot go and compete in New York. And both statements highlighted the fact that he does not meet the entry requirements for the United States at this time.
Because of his withdrawal, a fresh space has opened up in the men’s draw. This means that there will be one lucky loser from qualifying who gets to go through to the main draw. It also means that the seedings have adjusted due to this withdrawal. So basically, anyone who was ranked below Djokovic has gone up one spot in the seedings.
But how about the wider impact of his withdrawal from the 2022 US Open? Let me discuss a few key factors relating to that too.
Djokovic US Open Withdrawal – The Broader Impact
I cannot say that Djokovic’s withdrawal from the US Open was a huge shock. As I’ve stated previously, while Djokovic fans are disappointed about the news, it was somewhat anticipated. And now that we know he isn’t competing, we can take a broader look at what this could mean for two major things. For me, the two biggest areas here involve the GOAT race and the actual 2022 US Open tournament. So let me quickly run through both right now.
The GOAT Race
It’s fair to say that Roger Federer is now out of the running when it comes to possibly finishing his career with the most Grand Slams. However, the race is well and truly on when it comes to Nadal and Djokovic. Currently, Nadal has 22 slams to his name and Djokovic has 21. But of course, with Djokovic not competing at the US Open this year, he cannot add to his Grand Slam tally. On the other hand, Nadal is in the draw and ready to go. Should he win the US Open, it would take him 2 clear of Novak Djokovic with the most slams.
And if we look even further out, this is even better for Nadal. I say that because we don’t know whether Djokovic will be allowed to play in the 2023 Australian Open. Then beyond that, it’s time for the French Open once again, where Nadal is obviously heavily favoured.
The US Open Event
Looking at the actual tournament itself now, the absence of Djokovic certainly puts a huge hole in the draw. Djokovic would have been one of the top seeds, of course, but now he won’t be an obstacle for anyone. This means that guys like Medvedev, Nadal, Alcaraz, Tsitsipas and many others have a fighting chance to go on and grab the title. And for me, the fact that Djokovic isn’t playing does make the 2022 US Open somewhat fascinating.
Sure, there is still a legend of the game competing in the form of Rafael Nadal. He will always have that aura about him that makes some people doubt their ability to beat him. But for the other guys in the draw, I don’t think that anyone has that sense of invincibility about them. So we could well see a brand new Grand Slam winner at the 2022 US Open. Who this might be, however, remains to be seen.
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