Novak Djokovic feels it's his 'responsibility' to play at 2020 US Open

Serbian world number one Novak Djokovic recently said that one of the reasons he decided to participate in the 2020 US Open was that he wanted to help the sport "keep going" amid the current global crisis.

The 33-year old Serbian is currently in New York, preparing for the first Grand Slam event following the start of the pandemic. The event is all set to commence on August 31 at Flushing Meadows.

Meanwhile, several players, including the reigning champions Rafael Nadal and Bianca Andreescu, have backed out citing health and travel concerns.

The world number one player wants to show his leadership by not backing out of the tournament. According to BBC, Djokovic said, "I felt responsible as a top player to be here. It's important for our sport to keep going. I cannot say it's the main reason why I'm here, but it's one of the reasons."

World number two Nadal, withdrew from the competition earlier this month as he felt that the novel coronavirus pandemic in the USA was "not under control."

On the other hand, 20-year old Canadian, Andreescu, is among the six top 10 WTA players, including Australian world number one Ashleigh Barty and Wimbledon champion Simona Halep of Romania, who will not participate in the upcoming Grand Slam event in New York.

Alongside 19-time Grand Slam champion Nadal, 20-time winner Roger Federer will also be unavailable in the US Open due to a knee injury. The absence of the top contenders for the title would certainly present Djokovic with a golden opportunity to win another major. The Joker had last won the Australian Open in February, which marked his 17th Grand Slam title.

A couple of months ago, Djokovic had organised a charitable tennis tournament; the Adria Tour. He was heavily criticised for organising the event after several players including himself and his wife tested COVID-19 positive in the middle of the tour. The Serbian even received numerous death threats following the event.

During Thursday's interview, Djokovic said that he feels the criticism over his ill-fated Adria Tour became a "witch hunt." He also insisted that he is not against vaccinations. He was previously accused of being an anti-vaxxer.