Why isn't Novak Djokovic the Wimbledon champion here in Queens, a protestor asked as groups lined the various entry points of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre on Monday. The anti-vaccine sentiment among sections of fans was clear as they stood in solidarity with the Serb, a 21-time major winner, whose no go to the Covid-19 vaccine forced him out of the US Open draw.
As the season's last Grand Slam got underway Djokovic continued to be the talking point in a championship the 35-year-old has won thrice. It is the second Grand Slam he has been forced to sit out of in 2022.
Meanwhile third-seeded Greek Maria Sakkari led the way for seeded players in New York with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-0 win over the tricky German Tatjana Maria.
Maria, who became the toast of the Wimbledon draw in July when she made the semifinals unannounced, putting out Sakkari in the second round, used her range of underspin to take a 4-1 lead in the opening set before the third seed got back on track and won five games in a row.
In other matches, 17thseeded French pro Caroline Garcia put out lucky loser Kamilla Rakhimova 6-2, 6-4, 18th seed Veronika Kudermetova ousted Croatia's Donna Vekic 7-5, 6-3 and American Alison Riske-Amritraj, the 29th seed, put out American wildcard entrant Eleana Yu 6-2, 6-4.
World No. 1 and defending champion Daniil Medvedev of Russia thrashed Stefan Kozlov of the US 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 in his first round encounter.
