Djokovic US Open absence and detention of WNBA star Griner 'comparable' according to Medvedev after opening win

Tuesday, 30 August 2022 at 06:00

Daniil Medvedev was again asked about Novak Djokovic after his opening win over Stefan Kozlov at the US Open as his title defence began with ease.

Medvedev said that he believes there are some comparisons between Djokovic's absence and the detention in his homeland of WNBA star Britney Griner who was sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison for drugs charges.

She admitted she had cannabis oil on her but that it was just an honest mistake but still was charged with smuggling and possessing narcotics and said the legal dispute in play is like Djokovic being unable to play due to the laws differing elsewhere to the USA where he is not a citizen.

“I do think it’s quite comparable to other situations,” he said of Griner’s case.

“Let’s talk about Novak. He couldn’t come to the country for whatever reason, because of different laws. We can say does this law make sense? Because Americans can come back without a vaccine. Novak cannot come here and he doesn’t want to live in the USA. He wants to just play the tennis tournament and go back home to Serbia.”

“I don’t know the exact situation, but I think if she really had — was it marijuana? Then I don’t know, a law is a law. And if it was true that she didn’t have it, they tossed it (into her suitcase), then it’s not good. But I don’t know what it was and how it happened, so I have nothing more to say.” He added.

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In addition, he discussed the war in Ukraine and how he sees every person in life and has done with Ukraine as person-by-person. “I have a lot of friends from different countries all over the world. When this (the war) started, some of them could, for whatever reason, turn their back on me just because I’m Russian. I’m still Daniil Medvedev and I still play tennis. I tend to think that I’m quite kind in life.” He said.

“The situation in Ukraine didn’t change this. There are a lot of good Ukrainians; there are some bad Ukrainians. There are a lot of good Russians; there are some bad Russians. Me, I tried to learn for myself that it’s really important, in my opinion, to see each other person by person.”

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Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.

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