"A modern day hero has stuck to his morals in the most dignified manner, he stood up to tyranny whilst others around him crumbled" - Tennis fans shower praise on Novak Djokovic for pulling out of 2022 US Open

Novak Djokovic officially announced his withdrawal from the 2022 US Open today, citing the US government rules in place that bar unvaccinated travelers from entering the country.

The 21-time Grand Slam champion's participation in the event had been under a cloud of doubt for a long time, though the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) amending its rules for American citizens recently gave him and his fans a glimmer of hope.

However, when it was confirmed earlier today that no such changes were made to the guidelines for foreign visitors, it was only a matter of time before the Serb had to pull out of the event. Djokovic, a three-time winner at Flushing Meadows, is therefore missing his second Slam of the year, having missed the Australian Open in January for the same reason.

But unlike in Australia, the 35-year-old's withdrawal happened before the draw ceremony, meaning that fans will have no reason to chastise him for a late withdrawal this time around.

The former World No. 1's announcement on social media was met with an appropriate response -- pride and admiration from his fans as well as other sections of the tennis world.

The World No. 6's fans were unequivocally chuffed with the fact that he stuck to his principles of bodily autonomy instead of bowing to the pressures of the "establishment," a stance that led to him being hailed as a hero who stood up to tyranny against all odds.

One fan commented on the same:

"Novak is a modern day hero, he has stuck to his morals, beliefs and principles in the most dignified manner. He stood up to tyranny whilst others around him crumbled under the fierce pressure. A true inspiration and role model. We will always have your back champ. Idemo!"

This was the overwhelming emotion, as many directed their attack on the Joe Biden administration for preventing one of the greatest players of all time from playing at the US Open despite no scientific evidence to back it up. One user on Twitter wrote:

"What an absolute joke not to allow the best tennis player of his generation not play in the U.S. Open because he isn’t vaccinated. Djokovic had Covid. We’ve seen the vaccine does not stop the spread of the virus. And it’s TENNIS, a sport that socially distances players outdoors."

Even fans of other players were of the opinion that the Serb should be commended for standing up to his principles, with one tennis fan tweeting:

"No tennis fans should celebrate this. Djokovic was wrong in refusing vaccination, but most countries around the world have eased entry regulations."

Here are a few more reactions from fans:

Novak Djokovic to lose 1200 ranking points from US Open

Novak Djokovic to lose 1200 points from the US Open

Having reached the final at the US Open last year, where he fell to Daniil Medvedev to hand the Russian his maiden Grand Slam, Novak Djokovic was defending 1200 ranking points at Flushing Meadows this year.

With such a huge hit on the cards, the 21-time will further slip down the ATP rankings in the coming days after already falling out of the top-5 this year. The World No. 6, however, has a shot at playing in the ATP Tour Finals, considering his eligibility as a current Grand Slam winner.

For the Serb to qualify for the tournament, he only has to finish in the Top-20 by the end of the year, a feat that is achievable despite his current US Open disappointment. Most prominently, the 35-year-old will be playing at the Paris Masters at the end of the year, where he will be defending 1000 points -- a 1000 points that will make or break his qualification into the year-end championships.