Serena Williams and 21-time grand slam champion Novak Djokovic are both included on the entry list for this year’s U.S. Open. However, Djokovic is now barred from entering the U.S. because of regulations requiring visitors to be completely immunized against Covid-19.
The fact that any is included, though, does not guarantee that they will.
After a year-long sabbatical, Williams competed in her maiden grand slam event at Wimbledon this month. However, she was eliminated in the first round after a three-hour, 11-minute battle with France’s Harmony Tan.
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Even though it has been five years since she won her last grand slam victory at the Australian Open, Williams, who turned 40 in September, is still determined to set a record by winning a record-tying 24th grand slam title. She has already signed up for events that will happen in Toronto and Cincinnati later this summer.
More than 23,000 individuals have signed a petition on change.org requesting that Djokovic be permitted to play in the grand slam and for the United States Tennis Association (USTA) to accept this.
Djokovic’s reluctance to receive the Covid-19 vaccine has prevented him from competing in tournaments all over the world. In addition, the Serb was unable to defend his Australian Open title in January after being deported after spending time in prison.
He subsequently told the BBC that he would be willing to skip tournaments to keep his unvaccinated status. However, he has since chosen not to participate in several competitions throughout the year, including some held in the U.S., such as the Miami Open and Indian Wells.
He competed in two grand slams this year: Wimbledon, where he won his fourth consecutive title, and the French Open, where he lost to eventual champion Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals.
The men’s and women’s singles main draw fields are automatically filled for both genders based on ranking 42 days before the event’s first Monday, according to the Grand Slam Rule Book, the USTA said in a statement on Wednesday.
Read Also: What’s next for Novak Djokovic after Wimbledon 2022 win?
US Open to Respect America’s COVID Requirements
The U.S. Open does not require players to be immunized, according to the tournament’s organizers, but it will abide by the government’s policy on foreign visitors who are not U.S. citizens who are not protected against certain diseases.
The French Open in 2023 may be Djokovic’s next appearance at a grand slam as he is now prohibited from entering the United States, and his participation in the Australian Open is also in jeopardy because of restrictions that could prevent him from visiting the nation for a further three years.
