'Very sad news' – Rafael Nadal on 'tough' Novak Djokovic absence at US Open, praises Serena Williams

Rafael Nadal says Novak Djokovic’s absence from the upcoming US Open is “very sad”. Djokovic confirmed he would not compete for a fourth title at Flushing Meadows after being prevented from entering the United States due to his vaccination status – the second Grand Slam he has missed in 2022 over his decision to not take the Covid-19 jab. Ad The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed on Thursday that visitors to the US still needed to be vaccinated if they are foreign nationals, ruling the Serbian out of the tournament.

US OpenUS Open questions: Will Raducanu shine again? Will Medvedev repeat?14 HOURS AGO «From my personal perspective, it is very sad news,” said Nadal at his press conference on Friday. “It's always a shame when the best players of the world are not able to play a tournament because of injuries or because of different reasons. “In this case, not having one of the best players of the history in the draw of Grand Slam is always an important miss.

“As I said, it’s tough for the fans, tough for the tournament. In my opinion, tough for the players, too, because we want to have the best field possible. “But on the other hand, I repeat what I said plenty of times: the sport in some ways is bigger than any player.» Raducanu pauses practice session in tears ahead of US Open title defence US Open questions: Will Raducanu shine again? Will Medvedev repeat? Nadal can establish daylight between him and Djokovic in the men’s Grand Slam race with victory in New York – a title that could also see him draw level with outgoing women’s star Serena Williams.