Novak Djokovic shall be free to play on this yr’s US Open after the United States authorities confirmed it’s lifting its Covid-19 vaccine mandate on worldwide vacationers.
Djokovic, one of many highest profile athletes to stay unvaccinated, has not been in a position to play within the United States because the vaccine mandate got here into impact in November 2021.
The 35-year-old world primary final performed the US Open in 2021, when his bid to finish a calendar yr Grand Slam resulted in defeat within the closing to Russia’s Daniil Medvedev.
Since then Djokovic has been a obtrusive absentee from US tennis tournaments as a result of journey mandate.
The 22-time Grand Slam singles winner utilized unsuccessfully for a particular exemption to enter the United States to play this yr’s Masters occasions at Indian Wells and Miami.
US Open organizers, in addition to the US Tennis Association, each known as for Djokovic to be granted an exemption.
US tennis nice John McEnroe was one in all a number of who questioned the choice to proceed to bar Djokovic from the United States, noting that the Serb performed the US Open in 2021 when the pandemic was nonetheless raging.
“He played (the US Open) in 2021 and then wasn’t allowed to play in 2022, someone explain that to me,” McEnroe mentioned earlier this yr. “And now he’s still not permitted to play? It’s absurd.”
Djokovic was additionally infamously deported from Australia final yr and missed this yr’s Australian Open resulting from his vaccine standing.
However, on Monday, the White House confirmed that its vaccination requirement for vacationers getting into the United States can be lifted on May 11.
More than 1,000,000 individuals died from Covid-19 within the United States.
However, the White House famous that the pandemic had been all however stopped.
“Since January 2021, Covid-19 deaths have declined by 95 percent and hospitalizations are down nearly 91 percent. Globally, Covid-19 deaths are at their lowest levels since the start of the pandemic,” the White House mentioned in a press release.
Source: www.anews.com.tr
