Novak Djokovic withdraws from the US Open. He is unvaccinated against Covid-19 and not allowed to receive a visa and enter the country without approval from the Chinese authorities. Is this the end of the Djokovic-Williams rivalry? The tennis world is not ready for the final battle between the two champions.
When the battle for the Grand Slam crown was won by Novak Djokovic, Williams was left waiting for the champion’s prize. The Serbian ended the US Open on her own by beating Kaia Kanepi of Finland. Williams was angry at the decision and the media had a field day with her. She complained about the conditions Djokovic had to accept before winning the crown.
Williams was not the only woman who criticized the tournament. Novak Djokovic was forced to make a public apology at the media briefing. The Serbian’s team had the power of a state-media and he felt he had to do it. We will never forget the moment he had to do it.
The press briefing was held at the WTA offices on the 7th of February. It was supposed to take place on the 4th of February, but it was postponed to avoid a huge gathering of media. But still, the media had a field day as Williams and the other women had criticised the tournament. So the women felt compelled to do something.
Novak Djokovic was in the WTA office for the briefing. It was the perfect place for him to come. After the press conference the media had gathered outside in huge numbers. This meant no more media briefing and the women would now have to wait.
The US Open was scheduled for a short duration. It did not go ahead unless all the major players agreed to play. Djokovic did not go to the media briefing and did not make any comment. He simply asked the media to respect the wishes of the players and then