“That is an extra motivation,” Novak Djokovic set to give it all at Wimbledon amidst US Open uncertainty


“That is an extra motivation,” Novak Djokovic set to give it all at Wimbledon amidst US Open uncertainty

Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic has had a forgetful season so far after the highs of the 2021 season where he won 3 grand slam titles. He arrived in Australia earlier this year but was denied entry due to his unvaccinated status. He couldn’t defend his Australian Open title and was deported from the country after a 10-day tussle.

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He was then denied entry into the USA as a result of which he wasn’t able to compete at the Golden Swing. He only played one tournament till the time the clay season started. He made it to the final of the Serbia Open and won the Rome Masters before eventually losing to Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals of the French Open.

Djokovic will gun for a 4th consecutive Wimbledon title, a tournament where he’ll start as the top seed. As things stand today, this could be Djokovic’s last grand slam of the year as the USA is currently not letting unvaccinated people enter the country. This means that Wimbledon will be the last opportunity for Djokovic to inch closer to Nadal in the all-time grand slam list this year.

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‘I would love to go to States but as of today, that’s not possible’: Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic

In the pre-tournament press conference at Wimbledon, Djokovic said that he isn’t allowed to enter the USA as things stand and this gives him extra motivation to do well at Wimbledon. He hopes to have a great tournament and would love to play in the US Open.

“Well, you’re right, as of today I’m not allowed to enter the States under these circumstances,” he said. “Yes, of course, I’m aware of that. That is an extra motivation to do well here. Hopefully I can have a very good tournament, as I have done in the last three editions. Then I’ll just have to wait and see. I would love to go to States. But as of today, that’s not possible.”

He admitted that there isn’t much he can do as things are up to the US government whether or not to allow unvaccinated individuals in the country. “There is not much I can do anymore. I mean, it’s really up to the U.S. government to make a decision whether or not they allow unvaccinated people to go into the country,” he said.

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