Novak Djokovic Eligible to Play 2023 US Open After COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate Lifted

World No. 1 men's tennis player Novak Djokovic is clear to make his return to the U.S. Open this year after being forced to miss the tournament last year.

According to Sky Sports, the United States is lifting its requirement for international travelers to be vaccinated against COVID-19, meaning Djokovic is now free to enter the country and play in the 2023 U.S. Open:

Djokovic could not play in the 2022 Australian Open or U.S. Open because of vaccine regulations in the host countries, but he returned to win this year's Aussie Open and will almost certainly be part of the U.S. Open field in late August and early September.

While Djokovic is a three-time U.S. Open champion, he is in the midst of a fairly lengthy drought, having not won the tournament since 2018.

Djokovic experienced back-to-back fourth-round exits in 2019 and 2020, but he reached the final in 2021. After winning the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon that year, though, he was denied the calendar Grand Slam when Daniil Medvedev upset him in straight sets.

Since that upset, Djokovic has two Grand Slam titles to his credit in the form of Wimbledon 2022 and the 2023 Aussie Open.

Overall, Nole has won 22 Grand Slam singles titles in his career, which is tied with Rafael Nadal for the most in the Open Era.

While Nadal has been struggling through injuries in recent months, it seems Djokovic will be fit and ready for the final three Grand Slams of the year.

When Djokovic does return to the United States for a tournament, it will mark his first time playing in the country since 2021.

Before that, Djokovic's primary focus will be on the 2023 French Open, which begins later this month at Roland-Garros in Paris.