Novak Djokovic’s hopes of playing at the US Open appear dead and buried after a key change on the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Djokovic is currently barred from entering the United States because he is unvaccinated against Covid-19, while US border rules still requiring overseas visitors to show proof of vaccination to gain entry.
However there was a chain of thought that those rules could soon be relaxed, allowing Djokovic to enter the United States and play in the final grand slam of the year.
The CDC website previously said under the ‘travel’ section: “The CDC is reviewing this page to align with updated guidance.”
That came after the CDC changed a number of domestic rules which saw unvaccinated citizens granted the same rights as those who are vaccinated.
The message had Djokovic fans holding out hope that he might be allowed into the US after all, but on Wednesday the message disappeared.
The website now states that overseas travellers must be fully-vaccinated in order to enter the country, which appears to rule out any chance that Djokovic will play.
“One day before the US Open draw, the CDC has removed all reference to the review it is holding to bring the international travel rules into line with the domestic rules (vaccinated and unvaccinated people being treated the same). Probably it for Novak Djokovic now,” journalist Sam Street tweeted.
