Tennis fans across the world were shocked when Serbian superstar Novak Djokovic announced his withdrawal from the US Open 2022. The participation of Djokovic in the final Grand Slam event of the year was handed a silver lining earlier this month when the CDC relaxed COVID-19 vaccination guidelines in the US, however, it was not extended to international travellers to the country, which is believed to be the primary reason behind Djoker’s withdrawal.

Following the announcement, ATP no.1 Daniil Medvedev and no.3 Rafael Nadal have commented on the matter.

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Medvedev, who is also the reigning champion at the US Open, where he defeated Djokovic in the final of the previous edition, said it was a pity the Serbian will not be participating in the tournament.

“I mean, I wish he (Djokovic) would play here. We saw it in Wimbledon. He didn’t play many tournaments this year. He came there, he won,” Medvedev said.

The Russian star also said that he believes that the tennis community have been robbed of another part of the rivalry between Djokovic and Nadal as a result of the vaccine mandate, which he also called “completely understandable.”

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“He’s such a champion. The rivalry against Rafa is really I feel like heating up in a way. 22, 21, a joke of a number,” the 26-year-old said.

“It’s a pity he’s not here. It would be a great story I think for tennis. Not only tennis-wise, but it’s not us tennis players, it’s American government rule,” he added.

Apart from Medvedev, Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal also commented on Novak Djokovic’s absence from the 2022 edition of the US Open. The veteran star, who shares a rivalry with Djokovic, called the Serbian’s withdrawal as sad.

Also Read: Djokovic to skip US Open because he can’t travel to States unvaccinated

“It’s very sad news,” Nadal said in a press conference ahead of the US Open. “Not having one of the best players of the history in the draw of a grand slam is an important miss. We want to have the best field possible. But the sport is, in some ways, bigger than any player,” he added.

This is also the second time this year that Nadal is participating in a Grand Slam whereas Djokovic is not. Earlier this year, Rafael Nadal won the Australian Open, where Djokovic was not allowed to play following the country’s COVID vaccine guidelines for non-citizens and was deported.