John McEnroe believes Djokovic's exclusion from US Open is a joke

Tennis icon John McEnroe believes it is a “joke” that the unvaccinated Novak Djokovic cannot enter the United States to compete at next week’s US Open.

Djokovic is still waiting to see if the US federal government will relax the mandatory Covid-19 vaccination requirement for foreign travellers.

The Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) decided to relax protocols within community settings two weeks ago but no change has yet been made to the rules surrounding travel.

Time is running out before the start of the grand slam tournament in New York next Monday.

Djokovic remains on the main draw entry list ahead of Thursday’s draw and could conceivably hold off on a withdrawal until the day before his first-round match on the following Monday or Tuesday.

 “I don’t think it’s fair,” McEnroe, the four-time US Open champion and Eurosport pundit, said. “I think it’s a joke. I would have had the vaccine and gone and played but he’s got very strong beliefs and you have to respect that.

“At this point, in the pandemic, we’re two and a half years in, I think people in all parts of the world know more about it, and the idea that he can’t travel here to play, to me is a joke.”

Djokovic’s decision to hold off on a withdrawal has had some ramifications for other players. The first alternate Carlos Taberner will now have to win three matches in qualifying to get in to the main draw rather than claiming direct entry, while Pol Martin Tiffon missed out on a place in qualifying and a cheque for £17,700. If Djokovic pulls out before his match, he will be replaced by a lucky loser from the final round of qualifying.

This would be the second grand-slam tournament that Djokovic has missed this year because of his refusal to be vaccinated – he was deported on the eve of the Australian Open on “health and good order” grounds after a visa mix-up.

The 35-year-old Serbian won his 21st major trophy at Wimbledon last month but remains one behind the men’s singles record-holder Rafael Nadal.

“Who’s to say [Djokovic] can’t do it for another couple of years?” McEnroe said. “Let’s say that he wins three or four more. That’s not impossible, by any means. Despite this, he can still get to 25.

“I think it’s made it more complicated to do it because this has to wear on you mentally. Training this past month or six weeks not knowing whether he’s going to play, that’s going to put a strain on you mentally just as it was when he got thrown out of Australia. I think it took him three, four months to get his head right.”