I d be vaccinated in his place but you have to respect his way of thinking - John McEnroe on Novak Djokovic s COVID-19 vaccine controversy ahead of 2022 US Open × Follow Us Create Notifications New User posted their first comment this is comment text Link Approve Reject & ban Delete Log in Manage your profile Editing Story Queue Video Queue Editing Stats Writer Home SEO Redirection Admin Gaming Wiki Edits Taxonomy Home Edit Site Menu Mapping Dashboard Tag Pages Community Social Feed Queue Feed Center Notification Center Affiliate Home Manage Pages Bottom Tagline Dash Timeless Stories Logout Tennis US Open 2022 News I d be vaccinated in his place but you have to respect his way of thinking - John McEnroe on Novak Djokovic s COVID-19 vaccine controversy ahead of 2022 US Open By Hari Modified 23 Aug 2022 Follow Us Comment Share John McEnroe has backed Novak Djokovic ahead of 2022 US Open.. While John McEnroe stated that he would have taken the coronavirus vaccinations had he been in Novak Djokovic's place, he also said that we have to respect the Serb's views on the subject and his choices. The former World No. 1 also said that Djokovic missing the 2022 US Open is "the closest thing to a joke" as the world has been living with the pandemic for almost three years now. The 35-year-old's participation in the New York Grand Slam remains in doubt. While the current rules in the United States of America require foreign travelers to be double vaccinated against COVID-19, the Serb continues to remain unvaccinated. While the tournament does not require vaccination as a mandatory pre-requisite, the organizers have decided to toe with the government's rules on the subject, dealing a blow to Djokovic's chances of participation at the season-ending Major. Speaking to Marca, McEnroe opined that it was "stupid" of the organizers to not let Djokovic play at the US Open. "I think it's stupid that they don't let him play. It's the closest thing to a joke. I would have been vaccinated in his place, but you have to respect his way of thinking. We have been living with the pandemic for two and a half years and that they do not allow him to participate, I consider it a joke," he said. McEnroe concurred with the popular belief that Rafael Nadal would be the biggest beneficiary in Djokovic's absence and cited the Spaniard's Australian Open win as an example. "What is evident is that when Djokovic is not there, the great beneficiary is Nadal. He signed a miraculous victory at the Australian Open and the favorite there was the Serbian to have won there nine times," he added. Jeroen Mirck@JeroenMirckThe Corona Paradox of #Djokovic and #USOpen twitter.com/ScottGWrites/s…scott@ScottGWritesI'm puzzled by Djokovic being banned from the US Open and this is why:I went last year and we had to show proof of vaccination to attend, yet Djokovic played.I'm going again this year and we don't have to show vax status, and he's banned.That doesn't make sense to me.9721I'm puzzled by Djokovic being banned from the US Open and this is why:I went last year and we had to show proof of vaccination to attend, yet Djokovic played.I'm going again this year and we don't have to show vax status, and he's banned.That doesn't make sense to me.The Corona Paradox of #Djokovic and #USOpen twitter.com/ScottGWrites/s… McEnroe, a seven-time Grand Slam winner, said it would take a lot of time for the 21-time Slam champion Djokovic to get back on track, especially with the mental demands of the sport. He said it wouldn't be easy for Djokovic to train without knowing whether he would be able to play on his planned schedule. "It is true that Djokovic is younger and it seems that his body is responding to him and he has no injuries. He can reach to 25 Majors, but for the tennis part you have to add the mental aspect. It is not easy to train without knowing when or what you will be able to play on your planned schedule. It took him four months to get his head back after everything that happened to him in Australia in January," he explained. Also Checkout:- John McEnroe's Wife It s not the end of the world - Novak Djokovic on his potential absence at 2022 US Open Novak Djokovic at the Wimbledon 2022. (Pic: Getty Images) Novak Djokovic first spoke at length about his US Open participation after his Wimbledon victory. He maintained that he would remain unvaccinated and hoped that the American rules regarding the vaccine mandate would change before the season's final Grand Slam. "The only good news I can have is that they eliminate that protocol that only people who are vaccinated or have some exemption can enter the country. I don't know if it will be possible," Djokovic said in a press conference at Wimbledon. The 35-year-old spoke about his US Open plans in Serbia and said his non-particiaption in the New York Major will not be "the end of the world." "I respect everything and everybody, and I expect at least people to respect my decision. If I have a permission, I'll be there. If I don't, I'll not be there. It's not the end of the world," he said at the unveiling of a tennis complex in Visoko. A few weeks ago, he took to social media to let his fans know that his preparations were on track in the hope of being allowed to compete in New York. View this post on Instagram Instagram Post Poll : 0 votes Quick Links More from Sportskeeda Edited by Anirudh × Feedback Thank You! Be the first one to comment Follow Us Share Show More Comments GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? No thanks Delete GIF Cancel Update GIF Cancel Reply ❮ ❯ GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? No thanks Delete GIF Cancel Update GIF Cancel Reply ❮ ❯ Be the first one to comment on this story More from Sportskeeda Fetching more content... 1 Manage your profile Editing Story Queue Video Queue Editing Stats Writer Home SEO Redirection Admin Gaming Wiki Edits Taxonomy Home Edit Site Menu Mapping Dashboard Tag Pages Community Social Feed Queue Feed Center Notification Center Affiliate Home Manage Pages Bottom Tagline Dash Timeless Stories Logout No Results Found Get the free App now Manage notifications Popular ‍ Sports (30+) CricketCricket HomeCricket NewsScheduleIND vs SAAUS vs WIENG vs PAKLegends LeagueECC T10County ChampionshipBukhatir LeagueNZ T20 Tri-SeriesWomen's Asia Cup 2022Japan Cricket LeagueWI-W vs NZ-WECT10T20 World Cup FootballFootball HomeNewslettersSK Experts ScheduleEPLNations LeagueLa LigaLigue 1Champions LeagueFIFA WCMLS Bundesliga Serie A WWEWWE HomeNewslettersRumor RoundupRAWSmackDownResultsRosterChampionsWWE Extreme Rules 2022PPV ScheduleAEW EsportsEsports HomeMinecraftOverwatch 2RobloxGenshin ImpactFortniteGTAStreamersFree FirePUBGValorantBGMIPop CultureAnimeGaming TechWiki Guides TennisTennis HomeTennis calendarChina OpenTennis Results TodayATP RankingsWTA RankingsRoger FedererRafael NadalNovak DjokovicSerena Williams MMAMMA HomeUFC NewsONE ChampionshipUFC Fight NightScheduleRankingsResultsUFC Fights TonightONE Championship ResultsONE Championship ScheduleONE Championship Rankings KabaddiKabaddi HomePKL 2022PKL SchedulePKL Points TableKabaddi Rules WikiWiki HomeMinecraft WikiNaruto WikiTikTok WikiYoutube WikiGTA WikiTerraria WikiOne Piece Wiki MoreSportsBasketballIndian FootballNFLMinecraftFormula 1NascarPop CultureCollege FootballHockeyGolfAthleticsBadmintonGymnasticsWrestlingSwimmingTennisShootingBoxingArcheryWinter SportsRobloxSkateboardingKho KhoLifestyle LINKS About Us Write For Us Policies Editorial Standards Journalism Awards Fact Check Affiliate Program Careers CSR Privacy Policy Contact Us Edition: English हिन्दी