Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic were on the official US Open entry lists released Wednesday, but that doesn't mean they'll necessarily play in the tournament — and in Djokovic's case, he can't, as of now, because he isn't vaccinated against COVID-19.
The singles entry lists are a formality, and they include all players who are eligible based purely on this week's WTA and ATP rankings.
Williams is on there by virtue of a special ranking granted to her because she missed so much time because of injury; her first match in a year came last month at Wimbledon, where she lost in the first round to Harmony Tan.
Asked after that defeat whether she would play again, the 40-year-old Williams said she didn't know. When she was asked specifically about returning to the US Open, where she has won six of her 23 Grand Slam singles trophies, Williams replied: «There's definitely lots of motivation to get better and to play at home.» She missed the hard-court tournament in New York last year after injuring a leg at Wimbledon.