‘Novak Djokovic has had an unfair year,’ says coach as US Open is all but ruled out

Goran Ivanisevic says Novak Djokovic has had an ‘unkind year’ as he all but ruled out the Serbian playing the US Open this season.

Djokovic has decided not to get vaccinated against Covid-19 and he has been strongly standing by that choice.

It has not been without consequences, though, with it seeing him deported from Australia at the start of the year and now looking like he will be unable to play the US Open too.

Djokovic himself says he is happy to accept those consequences, and he has resisted any temptation to publicly complain.

However, coach Ivanisevic has been less restrained, telling Sport Klub: “It’s more likely that I receive a wild card for the Umag 250 and win than they allow Novak Djokovic to play the US Open.

“If you are vaccinated and infected, you can enter America, and if you are unvaccinated and test negative, then you cannot enter America.”

Djokovic did, though, show his mettle by winning Wimbledon this month to close to within one major of Rafael Nadal.

It was an admirable success after a year of considerable adversity, although he actually lost 2000 ranking points due to the banning of Russian and Belarusian players this year.

“He has had a difficult, unfair year, many bad things happened to him,” Ivanisevic said.

“He deserved that Wimbledon, in the final there were two of the world’s best tennis players on grass, he and Nick Kyrgios.

“It is an honour and a pleasure [to work woth Djokovic] – a man who has conquered everything and is still hungry and eager for success.”

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