'Trainwreck of trainwrecks' - John McEnroe laments Novak Djokovic's season and 'sad' US Open absence

Updated 30/08/2022 at 08:04 GMT

Novak Djokovic has only been able to compete in two of the four Grand Slams this season due to being unvaccinated. The former world No. 1 missed the Australian Open and is also not at the US Open, which starts in New York on Monday, as he can't enter the country. John McEnroe says it is a "sad" situation and has reflected on Djokovic's year and his lack of activity on the ATP Tour.

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Novak Djokovic’s 2022 season has been described as the “trainwreck of trainwrecks” by John McEnroe after he was unable to play at the US Open due to being unvaccinated.

The 21-time Grand Slam champion missed the Australian Open due to his vaccine stance and has also been unable to play in the United States or Canada this summer.

He was given late hope that he might be able to enter the US due to a relaxing of the rules, but withdrew before the draw last week as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed visitors to the US still needed to be vaccinated if they are foreign nationals.

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Djokovic has won just two tournaments this season – Wimbledon and the Italian Open – and lost in the quarter-finals of the French Open.

McEnroe has previously said it’s a “joke” that Djokovic was unable to travel to New York, and he has reiterated his stance on the first day of the tournament.

“Let’s not forget he was unvaccinated last year, so you’ve got to explain to me why he was unvaccinated and played last year and now he’s unvaccinated and can’t play," said McEnroe as part of Eurosport's coverage of the first day at Flushing Meadows.

“Either way it’s a joke in my opinion. It’s sad. That’s what it is. Me personally, I’ve been vaccinated, I got boosted. If I were him - and I’m not him, that’s probably why he’s won 21 [Grand Slams] and I won seven, because of his belief in himself and his willingness to just do what he believes is best for him.

“But he’s giving up a lot obviously by making this stand. I respect it, but it’s really unfortunate. His year has been the trainwreck of trainwrecks. Thank God he won Wimbledon.”

Djokovic looks likely to next compete for Serbia at the Davis Cup in September, two months after he won Wimbledon.

He will then play alongside Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray at the Laver Cup and could also compete in the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin.

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McEnroe says it has been a whirlwind season for the former world No.1.

“[This year] took him from Australia, where he was tossed out, to recovering to some extent at the French Open, and then winning Wimbledon, and you’re like ‘okay, come to the US Open, maybe you can be No.1 in the world?’

“But they don’t even let him play. I can’t believe it.

“Couldn’t he have got an exemption? But then again he got that in Australia and they tossed him out. Can you imagine the debacle here!”

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