McEnroe calls for vaccine rules to be lifted to allow Djokovic compete at the US Open

Tennis icon John McEnroe has slammed the US Covid vaccine rules which currently prevent Novak Djokovic from entering the country and playing the US Open.

The Serbian was ultimately denied the opportunity to compete at the Australian Open in January due to his decision to remain unvaccinated. US immigration recently dropped the requirement for all incoming passengers to return a negative Covid test before boarding a plane, but maintained the need for proof of full vaccination to be presented on arrival.

“There are no plans to relax American immigration rules that require incoming travelers to have undergone vaccination for Covid," the Telegraph reported. This prompted McEnroe, a four-time winner of the American grand slam, to plead with those in power to reverse the decision.

"These politicians are getting in the way too much," McEnroe said following the Wimbledon final, which Djokovic won against Nick Kyrgios. "They did it in Australia. Let’s let the guy come in and play in the U.S. I mean come on. This is ridiculous. But I don’t make those decisions. I hope someone makes the right one and allows him to play. That’s my personal opinion.

"You can agree to be tested. I don’t know. There’s gotta be a way around this, but we’ll wait and see. That’s not what it’s about right now."

Ahead of Wimbledon, the new 21-time grand slam champion reaffirmed his stance against talking the coronavirus jab.

"As of today, I am not allowed to enter the states under these circumstances," the Serbian tennis star said, via Eurosport. "I am aware of that and that is an extra motivation to do well here, and hopefully I can have a very good tournament as I have done in the last three editions.

"Then I will just have to wait and see. I would love to go to the states. But, as of today, that is not possible. There is not much I can do anymore. It is up to the US government to make a decision whether or not they allow the unvaccinated people to go into the country."