Novak Djokovic Says He’s Still ‘Not Planning to Get Vaccinated,’ Likely Won’t Play in U.S. Open

LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 10: Novak Djokovic holds the Wimbledon Trophy after winning the Wimbledon Men’s Singles Final at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 10, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)

Karwai Tang/WireImage

Novak Djokovic said that that he still does not plan to receive the COVID-19 vaccination ahead of the U.S. Open in August, and will likely have to skip the upcoming tournament as a result.

Djokovic, currently ranked No. 7 in the world by the ATP World Tour, beat Nick Kyrgios in four sets Sunday to seal his fourth consecutive Wimbledon title victory. But the Wimbledon champion told reporters it was not clear when he will next play a competitive match, according to ESPN.

“I’m not vaccinated and I’m not planning to get vaccinated so the only good news I can have is them removing the mandated green vaccine card or whatever you call it to enter United States or exemption,” 35-year-old Djokovic said, according to ESPN. “I don’t know. I don’t think exemption is realistically possible. If that is possibility, I don’t know what [an] exemption would be about.”

RELATED: Novak Djokovic Beats Nick Kyrgios to Win Wimbledon Men’s Singles Final

“I don’t know,” Djokovic added. “I don’t have much answers there.”

LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 10: Novak Djokovic of Serbia during his match against Nick Kyrgios of Australia during their Men’s Singles Final match on day fourteen of The Championships Wimbledon 2022 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 10, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, non-U.S. citizens who are not immigrants traveling to the country by air are required to show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 before flying from a foreign country to the U.S.

This would not be the first time Djokovic is unable to compete due to his refusal to get a COVID-19 vaccine. In January, Djokovic was deported from Australia because of his vaccine status and could not play in the Australian Open, the year’s first Grand Slam tournament.

Wimbledon did not make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory in order to participate in this year’s tournament, enabling Djokovic to enter and eventually win. But he remains unable to play in the 2023 Australian Open since he is not eligible for a visa in the country, according to ESPN — leaving the tennis star out of the next two major tournaments.

Djokovic told reporters Sunday that he is “on vacation,” adding that he will “definitely be resting for the next couple of weeks” after his recent tournament schedule.

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“Then I’ll wait hopefully for some good news from USA because I would really love to go there,” Djokovic said, according to ESPN. “That would be probably the next big tournament, the next big swing, playing a tournament or two before US Open and US Open. If that doesn’t happen, then I have to see what the schedule will look like.”

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LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 10: Novak Djokovic of Serbia during his match against Nick Kyrgios of Australia during their Men’s Singles Final match on day fourteen of The Championships Wimbledon 2022 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 10, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)

Visionhaus/Getty

Djokovic slid to No. 7 in the ATP world rankings after Wimbledon in part because he wasn’t allowed to play at the Australian Open, and the Serbian star’s ranking is likely to fall farther if he does not play at the U.S. Open.

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Djokovic has won 21 Grand Slam titles in his career and stands just one behind Spain’s Rafael Nadal for the all-time record.

The U.S. Open begins on August 29 and runs through Sept. 11 in New York City.