Novak Djokovic impacted by Rafael Nadal's US Open pullout? What does it mean for US Open?

The upcoming US Open 2020 men's draw is already weakened by the withdrawal of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal and the tournament could take a further hit if World No.1 Novak Djokovic decides to withdraw from the tournament.  A Serbian sports journalist on Wednesday gave an update regarding Novak Djokovic's participation in this year's US Open.

Also Read: Rafael Nadal Joins Roger Federer In Withdrawing From US Open 2020, Novak Djokovic To Play

Earlier on Tuesday, Rafael Nadal announced that he will not be playing in the upcoming US Open 2020, which came as a surprise to the fans since the player earlier had committed to playing the traditional warmup tournament ahead of the US Open 2020.  While Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the US Open 2020, It would be interesting to see if Nadal participates in the French Open 2020, which is expected to take place in September, after the tournament was earlier delayed this year due to the ongoing  COVID-19 pandemic.

Novak Djokovic to decided on US Open 2020 participation

Back in June, Novak Djokovic had said that he would love to play the US Open 2020 hoping that there's going to be a better scenario and safety measures will loosen up a bit. He also said that he is going to wait a bit and see how it all turns out and currently he cannot tell whether he would participate or not.

Also Read: Novak Djokovic Slams Critics And Media, Calls Himself 'target Of A Witch Hunt': Report

However, according to a tweet from a leading sports journalist working for Sportklub, Novak Djokovic will decide “in the next few days” whether or not to play in US Open, which is slated to start from August 31. Currently, players have withdrawn or expressed reservations about travelling to New York due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. If Novak Djokovic does decide to play the US Open 2020, then it will be the perfect opportunity to not only reclaim the title he last won in 2018 but also come closer to Rafael Nadal's number of total Grand Slam titles won in the career. 

Should Djokovic pull out, it could not only sound the bell of death for the US Open 2020 but could also put the spotlight on the French Open 2020, which is soon to follow towards the end of September this year. If the US Open progresses as scheduled, then Djokovic's exit would mean that it would be the first time ever that none amongst the 'Big 3', which includes Federer and Nadal, would not feature in a Grand Slam.

Also Read: Roger Federer Admits Being 'strict' About Not Meeting Parents Since Last 3 Months

US Open Schedule 

Coming to the US Open schedule, the buildup to the first Grand Slam tournament amid COVID-19 will start with the Citi Open in Washington DC. The Citi Open will be followed by the Western & Southern Open and the Cincinnati ATP Masters 1000 event in Flushing Meadows in the lead up to the US Open. The US Open is scheduled from August 31 to September 13.

Also Read: Sumit Nagal Gets Direct Entry Into Singles Main Draw Of US Open

French Open 2020 schedule 

The French Open 2020, the second major of the season which was originally scheduled to take place from May 24 to June 7, has been rescheduled to be held from September 27 to October 11 in Paris. While Rafael Nadal is the defending champion, Novak Djokovic will be looking to win his second title.

(COVER IMAGE: NOVAK DJOKOVIC / INSTAGRAM)