"There were heated words. We actually talked it out that same night and have been fine ever since" - Andy Roddick on his feud with Novak Djokovic in 2008

Earlier in his career, Novak Djokovic was often accused by fellow players of often retiring mid-match, taking extended medical timeouts, blaming just about anything after losing, and suffering from too many injuries.

A similar incident happened at the 2008 US Open when Djokovic beat Tommy Robredo 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in the fourth round but complained about multiple physical issues during his match.

Reacting to this in a press conference, the Serb's next opponent and former World No. 1 Andy Roddick sarcastically asked a journalist whether Djokovic had a "back and hip injury, cramps, bird flu, common cold, and SARS as well."

Djokovic defeated the local champion 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5) in their quarterfinal clash and gave a strong reaction in lieu of the American's earlier comments. In the on-court interview, the Serb expressed his jubilation at beating Roddick in front of his home crowd.

"I am really happy playing against Roddick on his court and in his city in his favorite tournament, so to win against him is a huge effort. I have nothing against anybody. Andy was saying that I have 16 injuries in the last match, so obviously I don't, right?" Djokovic said.

Yesterday, a fan asked the American about the seriousness of the incident between the two players.

"How serious was your beef with Novak in the late 2000s? I read something about an almost locker room fight," a fan asked Roddick.

Roddick was quick to reply, saying that incidents like this one happen in sports all the time. He also assured everyone that both of them resolved their differences soon after.

"Stuff like that happened a lot in locker rooms in heat of the moment. Wouldn’t have come to blows. Never does. There were heated words. We actually talked it out that same night and have been fine ever since. We always have a nice hello when we see each other. All good," Roddick replied.

Andy Roddick and Novak Djokovic played each other nine times, with the American leading the head-to-head 5-4.

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"Maybe there is a political logic behind it and not medical" - Novak Djokovic on possible absence from the US Open

Novak Djokovic might not play at the 2022 US Open.

The new COVID-19 rules in the US do not allow unvaccinated foreign travelers to enter the country. Although people would not be required to produce a negative test report to get into the US, proof of vaccination is a must. This means that Novak Djokovic, who has decided not to take the vaccine, might miss his second Grand Slam of the year.

The Serbian recently spoke about the situation and mentioned American tennis player Tennys Sandgren, who came out in support of Djokovic a few days ago.

“I've been texting with Tennys Sandgren a few days ago. I wanted to thank him for the public support he has given me in this situation. What he said makes total sense. If unvaccinated players are not allowed to compete at the US Open, then it should be the case for everyone. I don’t see the medical logic that Tennys can play because he is an American, and I can't. Maybe there is a political logic behind it and not medical," Djokovic said.

Sandgren, who is also unvaccinated, will be permitted to participate at the US Open as he's an American citizen and isn't subject to the vaccine requirement for foreign travellers.