August 29 at US Open, the last Major of the tennis season. On Monday, Alexander Zverev announced his withdrawal from the New York tournament. The German was seriously injured at Roland Garros, underwent surgery, but could not be ready for the competition.

The big mystery of the tournament is related to its participation. Novak Djokovic. A few weeks ago, the Serbian won Wimbledon and won 21 Grand Slam titles, one behind Rafa Nadal, who tops the list.

Djokovic, according to the data so far, will not be able to play at the last Grand Slam tournament of the season. Serbian tennis player ‘pays’ for refusing to vaccinate as US does not accept unvaccinated visitors

This is also the reason why he did not participate in the Masters tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami and Cincinnati, which ended a few days ago. Djokovic will not compete in the Rogers Cup in Canada for the same reason.

The CDC eased some restrictions on unvaccinated citizens on August 11. The statement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which also guides some countries’ coronavirus strategies, raised hopes that Djokovic might be at the event.

The Serb and those around him expect some travel restrictions for unvaccinated citizens to be lifted in time for the draw on Thursday, August 25. A US Open poster uploaded to the tournament’s Twitter account shows tennis’s biggest stars, but not Novak Djokovic.

It’s time.

Tennis stars ready to answer #USOpen call. pic.twitter.com/JkwHhMrUjh

— US Open (@usopen) August 22, 2022

This fact suggests the possible absence of a Serb, despite the fact that his name usually appears in the lists of participants. However, an online campaign for Djokovic’s participation in the event has been underway for several weeks, during which more than 50,000 signatures have been collected.

“I want to take some time andlet to say how grateful I am for the messages of support and love I have received from people all these days. This is something I didn’t expect and therefore I find it shocking. I just want to say thank you,” he tweeted on July 30. “I am preparing as if I have been qualified to compete while I wait to see if there is a place for me to travel to the US. I’m crossing my fingers,” he concluded. Novak Djokovic.

I just wanted to take a moment and tell you all how grateful I am to see so many messages of support and love from around the world these days. 🙏🏼

I didn’t expect this and that’s why it seems so mind-blowing. Just wanted to say thanks. 🙏🏼❤️

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) July 30, 2022

We remind you that Novak Djokovic did not take part in Australian Open. The Serb was given permission to enter the country for medical reasons, but the federal government did not accept it in connection with a case that caused a strong reaction.

Djokovic, however, says he is willing to pay the price for his decision. Speaking to the BBC a few weeks after his visa was rejected and his absence from the Melbourne tournament, he stressed that he did not intend to compete in future tournaments if vaccinations were made mandatory. But he noted that this is related to the issue of self-determination, stressing that he is not opposed to vaccination.

“I am thinking about the possibility of vaccination in the future because we are all trying to find the best solution to end the coronavirus. I have never been against vaccination. I understand that around the world we are all working hard to fight this virus and I am optimistic that we will soon succeed. I am very disappointed with how things ended for me in Australia. It wasn’t easy,” Djokovic told British media.

“I don’t plan to get vaccinated, even if this decision leaves me out of the US Open,” he repeated after winning Wimbledon.

The US Open will run from August 29 to September 11.