Novak Djokovic Covid vaccination: Will he play the Australian Open?

Anti-vaxxer Novak Djokovic has responded to news he will have to be fully vaccinated to contest the 2022 Australian Open.

Alexander Zverev downed Novak Djokovic in a thrilling last-four clash to end the world number one’s bid for a record-equalling sixth ATP Finals title but there was only one question everyone wanted answered

Would the Serbian star be contesting the 2022 Australian Open after it was confirmed all athletes would have to be double vaxxed?

“We’ll see,” he said.

“We’ll have to wait and see.

“I haven’t been talking to them (Tennis Australia), to be honest. I was just waiting to hear what the news is going to be and now that I know we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley confirmed on Saturday that all players must be fully vaccinated to play in January’s grand slam tournament and he’d spelt this out clearly to Djokovic’s team.

The world No. 1 has refused to publicly state his vaccination status but he will have to do that when entries for the Open officially open in three weeks time.

The subject has followed Djokovic around all year and will no doubt continue to dominate the headlines with the January slam the first to issue a vaccination mandate.

Zverev edged to a 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 6-3 success in Turin and will face reigning champion Medvedev, who beat Casper Ruud in the other semi, for the trophy.

Zverev, who was effusive in his praise of Djokovic also said that he hoped his friend would be Down Under.

“Look it’s a very tough one because it’s very political,” said Zverev. “We are visiting another country, this is about the virus that is going around right, this is not about a tournament or tennis, this is we are visiting another country.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic is yet to reveal if he will contest the Aus Open

“If the country is allowing us to enter we need follow the rules and follow the guidelines. I hope he’s able to play.

“I’m number three in the world so if he doesn’t play it’s easier to win the tournament but also he’s number one in the world so he should be able to play. Hopefully the Australian government will make an exemption.”

It was a disappointing end to a remarkable season for Djokovic, who fell one match short of becoming the first man to win a calendar Grand Slam since 1969 when he lost the US Open final to Medvedev.

The 20-time major champion was hoping to draw level with Roger Federer on six season-ending championship titles this week in Italy.But Zverev, who also beat the 34-year-old in the Olympics semi-finals in Tokyo, proved to be a bridge too far for Djokovic again

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AUS OPEN IN THE DARK

The Australian Open won’t know if defending champion Novak Djokovic will be returning until early next month.

The world No. 1 has refused to publicly state his vaccination status but he will have to do that when entries for the Open officially open in three weeks time.

“We have been speaking to Novak Djokovic’s team,” Tiley said. “Novak and the team understand clearly that in order to come and play in the Australian Open you need to be fully vaccinated, they know that this condition is for everyone, not just the players but for fans and all the staff.

“He has indicated it is a private decision for him and at the right time he will tell us. I know that he wants to play, he has clearly indicated that and he knows the conditions that he will have to undergo in order to be eligible to play.

Novak Djokovic’s vaccination status remains unclear.

“The visa application process is ongoing, pretty much all of the players and even those who are not sure if they are coming or not, have gone through that process and that goes through the federal government.

“And then entry here will be determined around the middle of December or the beginning of December when there is the entry deadline so you will know when a player has entered an event.

“In the next couple of weeks you will have a really good indication of where everyone is at because at that point an official list of who is going to be here will take shape.”

Tiley said he was confident very few players would miss the Australian Open because of the vaccination requirement given the numbers on tour who are getting the jab had jumped quickly from around 50 per cent to over 80 per cent.

“I don’t think it is going to be an uncommon situation in 2022, I think around the world you are going to see the same thing and they (the players) have started to realise that,” he said.

“It very quickly got to 80 per cent on both the men’s and women’s tour, there is still six weeks left before they come out and many of them would have had their first dose.

“I don’t expect there to be many, probably very very few that wouldn’t be fully vaccinated.”

Novak Djokovic speaks with CEO of Tennis Australia Craig Tiley.

Only Roger Federer is confirmed out as he recovers from a knee injury with other superstars Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka indicating to Tiley that they were on track to be at Melbourne Park.

“Serena Williams was on the phone in the last 48 hours and she is preparing to be here,” he said.

Tiley joined the growing chorus of tennis authorities concerned about Chinese star Peng Shuai who has been missing since she alleged a powerful Chinese politician sexually assaulted her.

“Everyone is aware of the Peng Shuai situation, the primary thing for us is to make sure she is safe,” Tiley said. “We have utilised our channels, we have been working behind the scenes to find out and get more clarity about her safety.

“Our position is very clear, we want to know that she is safe and then secondly we want her to know as a community, not only a global tennis community, but as a community here in Australia we will do everything we can to support her wellbeing.

“It is a matter we are building more clarity on as time goes on and we’re using every possible channel that we can to assure her safety.”

Originally published as Novak Djokovic Covid vaccination: Will he play the Australian Open?