Novak Djokovic on U.S. Open entry list even though he's still not vaccinated
Novak Djokovic made it pretty clear after his victory at Wimbledon that he wasn't planning on playing in the U.S. Open because that would mean that he would have to get vaccinated.
But that didn't stop the tennis star's name from appearing on U.S. Open's entry list this week.
As The Associated Press (h/t ESPN) and other outlets have already pointed out, having Djokovic's name on the list is a formality, and the list is based on players who are eligible through world rankings. Of course, that didn't stop the sports world from taking notice, given the heavy spotlight that Djokovic has been under this last year for refusing to be vaccinated against COVID-19 even if it means missing out on competitions.
The U.S. Tennis Association released a statement along with the lists saying that the organization will respect the government's stance on non-citizens coming into the country without the vaccine.
Djokovic said after his win at Wimbledon that he would wait "hopefully for some good news from USA because I would really love to go there." The good news Djokovic is looking for is an exemption, which he is very unlikely to get.
The Serbian tennis pro was deported from Australia and could not compete in the Australian Open because he tried to enter the country unvaccinated and without a medical exemption.
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