Djokovic faces US Open travel wait despite COVID-19 rules being relaxed in America, out of Western & Southern Open

Novak Djokovic has had to withdraw from the Western & Southern Open and faces a wait to play in the US Open, this is despite rules around COVID-19 being relaxed slightly in the US on Friday.

Djokovic as in Cincinnati has been included on the provisional entry list for Flushing Meadows but due to his decision not to get vaccinated against COVID-19, he is at this current time not allowed into the country.

But the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) have issued new guidance relaxing rules regarding social distancing and quarantine.

Despite that though, travel advice has not yet been updated which currently states that all non-US citizens and nationals must be fully vaccinated before entering the country, however the website says this is under review.

A statement read: “This updated guidance is intended to apply to community settings. In the coming weeks, CDC will work to align stand-alone guidance documents, such as those for healthcare settings, congregate settings at higher risk of transmission, and travel, with today’s update.”

In June, the CDC relaxed the guidance slightly with passengers no longer needing a test but vaccinations are still required. This of course means for Djokovic that it will likely be an eleventh hour decision once again like in Australia.