Djokovic pulls out of Cincinnati as US CDC changes guidance for unvaccinated people

It remains to be seen if the US will change entry guidelines for unvaccinated visitors in the for Djokovic to play the US Open

Novak Djokovic at the opening of a regional tennis centre in Visoko, Bosnia and Herzegovina in July 2022. Image Credit: AI / Reuters / Panoramic

Haresh Ramchandani

August 12, 2022

Novak Djokovic has officially pulled out of next week’s Cincinnati Masters as current rules continue to forbid him from entering the United States.

Djokovic’s withdrawal comes at the same time as the United States Centre for Disease Control relaxed its guidelines for unvaccinated people in the United States. There have not been any changes to the United States policy of not allowing unvaccinated visitors to enter the country.

As per the new CDC guidelines, those who have been exposed to the virus are no longer required to quarantine. It also removes any distinction in guidelines for unvaccinated and vaccinated people.

The US Centre for Disease Control has now basically admitted that the unvaccinated are no different in regards to spread, to those who have had the Vaccines.

It now makes America’s border controls look ridiculous & unnecessary. pic.twitter.com/pZhmODLXvX
— Adam Brooks AKA EssexPR 🇬🇧 (@EssexPR) August 11, 2022

Novak Djokovic, the 21-time Grand Slam champion, is currently not permitted to enter the United States (he was also not allowed to enter Canada for this week’s ATP Master Series event there).

The Serb is now down to No 6 in the world rankings. He missed the Australian Open in January after he was controversially deported from the country and did not earn any points for Wimbledon – the only Grand Slam title he has won this year as a result of the ATP’s decision to not award ranking points following the ban on Russian players.

It remains to be seen if there is any change in the entry guidelines for the unvaccinated visitors into the United States in time for Djokovic to play the US Open, which begins n New York on August 29.

Djokovic’s next scheduled tournament is the Laver Cup in London where he will represent Team Europe, along side Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud.

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