"Novak Djokovic's rivalry against Rafa is really heating up; it's a pity he's not here, it would be a great story for tennis" - Daniil Medvedev on the Serb's absence from US Open 2022

Defending champion Daniil Medvedev believes it is unfortunate that Novak Djokovic's absence at the US Open will put a halt to the Serb's Grand Slam rivalry with Rafael Nadal.

Djokovic withdrew from the 2022 US Open on Thursday after it became clear that he would not be permitted into the country due to his unvaccinated status.

He currently trails 22-time Major champion Nadal in the Slam race by one and would have hoped to equal the Spaniard's tally at Flushing Meadows. Instead, the four-time champion will now have the opportunity to go two ahead of the Serb should he triumph in two weeks.

When asked about Djokovic's absence in his pre-tournament press conference, Daniil Medvedev admitted that he would have liked to see the Serb in action at the US Open.

The World No. 1 believes that the tennis world has been robbed of another chapter of the Djokovic-Nadal rivalry due to the vaccine mandate -- a mandate he also feels is "completely understandable" at the same time.

"I mean, I wish he would play here. We saw it in Wimbledon. He didn't play many tournaments this year. He came there, he won," Medvedev said. "He's such a champion. The rivalry against Rafa is really I feel like heating up in a way. 22, 21, a joke of a number."

"It's a pity he's not here. It would be a great story I think for tennis. Not only tennis-wise, but it's not us tennis players, it's American government rule," he added. "Completely understandable also."

"There were some slams where Djokovic, Federer, Nadal & Murray occupied the semifinals; it must not have been easy" - Daniil Medvedev

Daniil Medvedev during his pre-tournament press conference at the 2022 US Open.

During the press conference, Daniil Medvedev was asked if he thinks the men's draw at this year's US Open is more open than it has been in previous years. The Russian answered by pointing out how draws were harder when Djokovic, Federer, Nadal, and Murray were all dominating the tour a few years ago.

"Yeah, it's a little bit tough to answer," began Medvedev. "For sure, if I look back maybe I would say five years ago when I was probably not even on the tour yet, I mean, when there was the big four, Andy, Novak, Roger, Rafa, especially if they would be the top four seeds, some tournaments was the case, for sure.

"I'm not sure how other guys reacted, but it's tough. You know you're going to get them in quarters, first rounds," he added. "There were some slams where they occupied the semifinals. It must not have been easy."

Looking at the issue from that perspective, Medvedev reckons things could be a bit easier this time given that it is not the case anymore. He went on to point out how new players have risen to take their place, such as himself, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem, among others.

"If we look at this perspective, maybe it is," he added. "At the same time, if we take the last two, three year slams, I have to say on hard courts it was a lot of times me there, Stefanos a few times. Australian Open, Sascha was there. Sometimes in the final. Dominic."

Also Checkout:- US Open 2022 Schedule