"The sport in some ways is bigger than any player, I missed a lot of important events in my tennis career because of injuries but the tournament continues" - Rafael Nadal on Djokovic's absence at 2022 US Open

Novak Djokovic's absence from the 2022 US Open has been the talk of the town over the last few days, but Rafael Nadal feels that shouldn't be the case. The Spaniard is of the opinion that the sport is bigger than any single player and that it is, therefore, important to shift attention to happenings on the tennis court.

Speaking at his pre-tournament press conference, the 22-time Grand Slam champion admitted that he was personally saddened to see the Serb having to miss out on a trip to New York due to his unvaccinated status.

"Well, in some way we know that Novak will not play for a while if nothing change in terms of the rules, no? We know that since months ago. From my personal perspective, is very sad news," he said. "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."

Hailing Djokovic as "one of the best players in history," the World No. 3 lamented that his missing out is tough for the fans as well as his colleagues, since everyone prefers to test their mettle against the best of the best.

"Not having one of the best players of the history in the draw of Grand Slam is always an important miss, no? As I said, tough for the fans, tough for the tournament," Nadal said. "In my opinion, tough for the players, too, because we want to have the best field possible."

At the same time, the former World No. 1 maintained that it should not distract from the tournament as a whole, since these absences were part and parcel of the game. Recalling how he has had to miss more than a few tournaments due to injuries, the 36-year-old pointed out how the world of tennis simply kept going regardless.

"But on the other hand, I repeat what I said plenty of times: the sport in some ways is bigger than any player. I missed a lot of important events in my tennis career because of injuries, without a doubt," Nadal said. "Last year I was not here. Two years ago I was not here. [But] the tournament continues. The world of tennis keep going."

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"The world continues and the tennis will continue after me, after Novak, after Roger" - Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal preparing for the 2022 US Open

It is not just this isolated case of Novak Djokovic missing out on the US Open, but Rafael Nadal reckons tennis will continue unimpeded even after his eventual retirement and the other two members of the Big-3.

As important as Djokovic has been to the sport in recent years, and as sorry as he is to see the Serb withdraw from the New York Major, Nadal is not too concerned about the impact it will have on the event and on tennis in the long run.

"Even if is not a good news for everyone, the world continues and the tennis will continue after me, after Novak, after Roger. Every year will be for the slams champion," he said. "That's it. But without a doubt, Novak is one of the most important players of the last 20 years, the history of our sport. In a personal way I feel sorry for him that he's not able to travel here."

Also Checkout:- US Open 2022 Schedule