McEnroe: 'Ridiculous' that U.S. Open won't let Djokovic play

John McEnroe is never at a loss for words. Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports

John McEnroe: 'Ridiculous' that U.S. Open won't let Novak Djokovic play

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated 7/11/22

Novak Djokovic won his 21st Grand Slam title on Sunday to move just one behind Rafael Nadal for the most all time, but it does not sound like he will have a chance to tie the record at the U.S. Open next month. John McEnroe finds that to be “ridiculous.”

After Djokovic defeated Nick Kyrgios in the Wimbledon final, McEnroe sounded off about the COVID-19 vaccine requirement that will prevent Djokovic from competing in the U.S. Open. He said Djokovic should be allowed to play.

NEW: John McEnroe on Biden not allowing unvaccinated Djokovic into America to play in the US Open: "These politicians are getting in the way too much. They did it in Australia. Let's let the guy come in and play in the U.S. I mean, c'mon, this is ridiculous!"

— Paul Sperry (@PaulSperry30) July 10, 2022

McEnroe, a four-time U.S. Open champion, certainly is not the only one who feels that way. One of the reasons the policy makes little sense is that an unvaccinated American tennis player would be permitted to compete in the U.S. Open even if he or she traveled outside the country and then returned.

Djokovic has no plans to get vaccinated before the U.S. Open begins on Aug. 29. Unless there is a policy change, he will only have been permitted to play in two out of the four majors this year. Djokovic also had issues at the Australian Open and was forced to leave the country even after being granted an exemption.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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