“It would be absurd if he couldn’t play,” Novak Djokovic gets support from John McEnroe amid the confusion about his entry into USA
John McEnroe believes Novak Djokovic's stand on vaccination should be respected as it is his choice.
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John McEnroe, Novak Djokovic
Former tennis legend John McEnroe recently said that it would be ‘absurd’ to not allow Novak Djokovic in the upcoming events in the US. Djokovic is currently on the entry list of the Indian Wells and Miami but his participation in the “Sunshine Swing” is still far from clear. The 35-year-old on Wednesday once again confirmed his application for an exemption after a practice session in Belgrade.
The ban on Djokovic from entering the US and competing there has attracted a lot of criticism. Even the Indian Wells tournament director Tommy Haas criticized it earlier. Now McEnroe too joined in to provide his support to the Serb. Indian Wells is scheduled to start on March 6th while Miami Open will begin on March 19th.
“It would be absurd if he couldn’t play Indian Wells or Miami or any other tournament in the U.S. “It’s absurd they threw him out of Australia last year,” McEnroe remarked. The 64-year-old believes that Djokovic should be respected for his stand on vaccination as it is a matter of choice.
“I have had my vaccines, I respect that he’s chosen not to do it. I would’ve done it, but that’s a whole other issue. He played [the U.S. Open] in 2021 and then wasn’t allowed to play in 2022, someone explains that to me. And now he’s still not permitted to play, I mean it’s absurd,” he explained.
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Djokovic hopeful for a positive decision from the US soon as he provides his injury update
There are no signs of confirmation about the participation of Novak Djokovic in these events but the 22-time Grand Slam champion is still hopeful for positive news. On Wednesday after a practice session in Belgrade, he opened up about his prospects of playing in the US while acknowledging it was out of his hands.
“For the US, it depends on the situation, I’m waiting for an answer and it’s not in my hands. We will see how things unfold in the next two weeks. The process is ongoing and that’s all I know,” Djokovic said. “These are things that are completely out of my control. Of course, I would like to play and I’m glad that I got support from the tournament director, people want me to go to America and play.”
Djokovic also provided an important update about his injury as he heads to Dubai. “My injury from Australian Open is healed but I’m still not at 100 percent. Things looking very good. My team and I decided that I’m going to Dubai,” he explained.
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Abhinavendu Singh
(290 Articles Published)