American tennis player Tennys Sandgren finds it “shameful” that the USTA are not putting up effort to help Novak Djokovic get the green light to compete at the US Open. As it stands now, Djokovic won’t be allowed to compete at the US Open.
The United States have eased some of their COVID-19 restrictions but an individual entering the country still needs to have the proof of vaccination. Sandgren himself isn’t vaccinated, but he is an American and he won’t face any problems regarding his US Open participation.
“Pretty shameful that the USTA won’t fight for an exemption for Novak. No surprise the government hasn’t changed it’s archaic policy. I can play but he can’t? Ridiculous,” Sandgren wrote on Twitter.
Pretty shameful that the USTA won’t fight for an exemption for Novak
No surprise the government hasn’t changed it’s archaic policy
I can play but he can’t? Ridiculous — Tennys Sandgren (@TennysSandgren) June 16, 2022
Djokovic could miss out on the US Open
Just when the news came out of Djokovic possibly missing the US Open, the USTA announced Russian and Belarusian players will be allowed to compete at the tournament this year.
“The USTA will allow individual athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete in the 2022 US Open, but only under a neutral flag. Alongside the other Grand Slams, the ITF, the ATP and the WTA, the USTA, which owns and operates the US Open, has previously condemned, and continues to condemn, the unprovoked and unjust invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
The USTA, standing with these other tennis entities, supported the banning of the Russian and Belarusian Tennis Federations from the ITF, and therefore all international team competitions, and the directive for players from those countries to play under a neutral flag when competing outside of international team competitions,” the USTA said in a statement.
“We recognize that each organization has had to deal with unique circumstances that affect their decisions. Based on our own circumstances, the USTA will allow all eligible players, regardless of nationality, to compete at the 2022 US Open.” In the 2021 US Open final, Daniil Medvedev defeated Djokovic to win his maiden Grand Slam title.
