Complications continue for Djokovic after deciding not to get vaccinated. AP / Manu Fernandez.
What was expected has been confirmed. Novak Djokovic will not play the Canadian Masters 1000which this year will be held in Montreal from 5 to 14 August, after his refusal to get vaccinated against covid.
The recent Wimbledon champion I could play with a 14-day quarantine, but the Canadian Tennis Federation announced this Thursday the retirement of the current world number 6 along with that of the German Oscar Otte. Given these losses, those who will enter the main draw are the French Benjamin Bonzi (51st in the world) and the Australian Nick Kyrgios (63rd).
Health policy in Canada indicates that all foreigners arriving in the country must be vaccinated against covid-19 to avoid quarantine, which Djokovic appears to reject.
Djokovic has won the Canadian M1000 four times, most recently in 2016, but he won’t play this year. Frank Gunn / The Canadian Press via AP.
The Tournament Director, Eugenio Lepierre, he had said earlier this month that he didn’t expect him to play. “Either the Canadian government changes the vaccination rules or it will relax and get vaccinated. But I don’t think any of these scenarios are realistic.”
Last Saturday, through his Twitter account, the Serbian expressed that he still has the hope of being able to play in the United States, the site of the US Open and of Cincinnati Master 1000, But does not discuss getting vaccinated. The truth, right now, is that the landscape is even more complex and his presence in the last Grand Slam of the season hangs in the balance.
Their only hope is that the CDC will bend over backwards and allow the unvaccinated in, which seems unlikely considering the action in Flushing Meadows is only three weeks away.
“I’m preparing as if I could compete, while I wait to find out if there is room to travel to the United States. Fingers crossed!”tweeted the 21-time world champion.
The difficulties continue for Nole in the 2022 calendar assembly. He was unable to play the Australian Open, his favorite tournament, and he was not even allowed to be present in Miami or Indian Wells, which led him to a sharp fall in the rankings.
Furthermore, the ATP’s decision to deprive Wimbledon of points due to the organizers’ veto over the Russians and Belarusians further complicated the situation. Today he is tenth in the Race (annual ranking), he could lose several positions after the North American tour and his ranking in the ATP finals is unknown.
Source: Clarin
