John McEnroe | 1991 US Open

Novak Djokovic is back on top of the tennis world after winning his seventh Wimbledon title on Sunday. As of now, he won’t be able to try for back-to-back majors at the 2022 U.S. Open starting next month.



Because he is not vaccinated against COVID-19, Djokovic will not be allowed to enter the United States. That came after he was deported from Australia in January for not being vaccinated, keeping him out of the Australian Open.

Djokovic’s looming absence from Flushing Meadows isn’t sitting well with John McEnroe, who railed against the rule on ESPN after Djokovic defeated Nick Kyrgios in the men’s Wimbledon final on Sunday.

“These politicians are getting in the way too much,” McEnroe said. “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.”

McEnroe’s brother Patrick also weighed in on Djokovic being unable to compete at the U.S. Open.



“Whatever you think the government should or should not do, it’s a bummer for tennis,” he said on the broadcast.

Before Wimbledon began, Djokovic said he would not change his mind about getting the vaccine and acknowledged the likelihood that he would not be able to play in the U.S. Open, which he last won in 2018. He lost to Daniil Medvedev in last year’s U.S. Open final.

Djokovic said at the time that gave him “extra motivation” to play well at Wimbledon.

John McEnroe says Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios has "got his demons" but tennis needs him "big time".

Australia's Kyrgios, 27, was beaten by Serbia's top seed Novak Djokovic in Sunday's men's final.





The world number 45's run to his first Grand Slam final saw him fined for several outbursts on court.

McEnroe says he asked Kyrgios on "numerous occasions to come and have a chit chat" but he always find "an excuse".

"I get a lot of what's going on here more than most people," the American, 63, told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast.

"He's a good kid, the players like him, he's well liked in the locker room, he does a lot of charity work.

"But he's got demons you know, in a way - we all have this fear of failure and it's a question of how you best deal with it."

Kyrgios' run to the final came amid more controversy as it was revealed he faces a court hearing in Canberra next month in relation to an allegation of common assault.

Seven-time Grand Slam champion McEnroe said the shots Kyrgios pulls off are "incredible", adding: "It's unbelievable so he moves the needle for us in tennis. We need this big time, but we don't need him to try half the time.

"Who should coach Nick Kyrgios? John McEnroe of course but he's untouchable. Anyway the guy doesn't need the coach, the guy is a genius out there the way he plays. He needs Sigmund Freud to come out of the grave and somehow figure out a way to keep this guy going for a couple of years because we could use him."

Speaking to BBC Sport's Laura Scott, McEnroe added: "You know he's sitting there and he's obviously tortured in certain ways. [He's] unbelievably talented, very smart.

"[He's] a hell of a player when he wants to be and so you want to nurture that in a way as an ex-player, as a father, as a fan, as a commentator, so I can relate a lot."