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‘It is at all times a disgrace when the very best gamers of the world aren’t capable of play a event due to accidents or due to completely different causes.’
IMAGE: Novak Djokovic, left, was crushed by Daniil Medvedev in straight units within the males’s singles last of the 2021 US Open. {Photograph}: Matthew Stockman/Getty Pictures
Rafael Nadal mentioned it was unhappy information that his nice rival Novak Djokovic will likely be lacking from the US Open, including that the absence of a participant of the Serbian’s calibre was an vital miss for the hardcourt Grand Slam.
Djokovic, who gained Wimbledon to take his main singles titles to 21, has opted to not be vaccinated towards COVID-19. He mentioned on Thursday he couldn’t fly to New York for the 12 months’s last Grand Slam.
Guidelines require travellers to point out proof of vaccination to board flights to enter america.
“From my private perspective, it is very unhappy information,” Nadal, who leads the lads’s Grand Slam race with 22 titles, advised reporters on Friday.
“It is at all times a disgrace when the very best gamers of the world aren’t capable of play a event due to accidents or due to completely different causes.
“On this case, not having top-of-the-line gamers of the historical past within the draw of Grand Slam is at all times an vital miss, no?”
The 35-year-old Djokovic was additionally unable to play the Australian Open at first of the 12 months after being deported from Melbourne over his vaccination standing simply forward of the event.
Nadal mentioned it was robust for each gamers and the followers as everybody need the very best gamers to compete at massive occasions.
“However then again, I repeat what I mentioned loads of instances: the game in some methods is larger than any participant,” added the 36-year-old, who has been suffering from accidents over the past two seasons. “The event continues.
“Even when it isn’t a excellent news for everybody, the world continues and tennis will proceed after me, after Novak, after Roger (Federer).
“Certainly, Novak is likely one of the most vital gamers of the final 20 years, the historical past of our sport. In a private manner I really feel sorry for him that he is not capable of journey right here.”
World primary Daniil Medvedev mentioned he was dissatisfied his US Open title defence at Flushing Meadows would kick off with out Djokovic.
The lanky Russian pulled off one in every of sport’s biggest upsets with cat-like agility a 12 months in the past when he denied Djokovic a calendar Grand Slam in a straight units win on Arthur Ashe Stadium to gather his first main title.
“I want he would play right here,” Medvedev advised reporters forward of the US Open important draw, which begins on Monday.
“The rivalry towards Rafa is admittedly I really feel like heating up in a manner. Twenty-two, 21 (Grand Slams), a joke of a quantity,” he mentioned.
“It is a pity he (Djokovic) is just not right here. It might be an awesome story I feel for tennis. Not solely tennis-wise, however it’s not us tennis gamers, it is American authorities guidelines. Utterly comprehensible additionally.”
Medvedev rolls into the US Open after a handful of uneven performances, successful at Los Cabos earlier than struggling a shock early exit in Montreal. He reached the semi-finals at Cincinnati, the place he has typically thrived.
His starvation for a second main title is as fierce as ever after shedding a five-set thriller to Nadal within the Australian Open last. The six-foot six-inch, power-serving Russian mentioned he needed to strive “one thing massive” in New York.
“I am working nicely. I am working nicely with my workforce. I am assured in myself,” he added.
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