"These athletes are so delusional about their own self importance" - Fans disagree with Casper Ruud's opinion on Novak Djokovic's US Open saga

After months of speculation, Novak Djokovic confirmed that he will not be able to participate in the 2022 US Open due to the United States of America's vaccine mandate still being in place. Casper Ruud joined a chorus of fellow players and experts expressing their thoughts on the matter, drawing a range of reactions from tennis fans.

The 2022 French Open finalist opined that Djokovic's participation would be "in the best interest" of the United States due to his popularity and the high possibility of the Serbian superstar's clash with his great rival Rafael Nadal.

Speaking to Eurosport, Ruud further expressed that he was sad to see politics get in the way of Djokovic's US Open participation.

"I think it’s sad that politics will get in his way, or these rules will get in his way. I do think that it could be in the best interest of the country. He has won there many times before and he has brought a great crowd to the stadium. You can argue that it's in the best interest of the country. He’s a big superstar. Having him and Rafa in the final would be so epic," he said.

Ruud's comments did not sit well with some tennis fans, who disagreed with the Norwegian's assessment suggesting that the Serbian player's participation would be in the 'national interest' and his non-participation is politically-driven.

One fan stated that it was a decision backed by science, not politics.

"Omg did he really say "Good for the country"? These athletes are so delusional about their own self importance. And "politics" lmao. Nothing political about a science based decision taken mid-pandemic recommended by qualified people on how to protect their own citizens," a fan wrote.

Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans to Casper Ruud's comments on Novak Djokovic's US Open controversy:

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"Personally, I'm not crying about it" - Casper Ruud on Novak Djokovic not playing 2022 US Open

Casper Ruud and Novak Djokovic at the 2022 Internazionali BNL D'Italia.

Casper Ruud also suggested that 21-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic's absence from the US Open draw was good news for him. He is not complaining about the fact that a top competitor is not playing in the tournament. At the same time, the World No. 7 reiterated that he sympathizes with his colleague.

"I do think it’s very sad [but] for me personally, I'm not crying about it. But as a colleague I’m sad about it," Ruud said.

Ruud also stated that he feels for the Serbian player as he dropped a huge chunk of ranking points at Wimbledon despite defending his title there. The ATP and WTA removed ranking points from this year's Wimbledon Championships in response to Wimbledon banning Russian and Belarusian players from competing.

"For him it’s so unfortunate, he won Wimbledon but didn’t win points for it. I don’t see him as a threat to the public even though he’s not vaccinated," Ruud expressed.