December 07, (THEWILL) – Novak Djokovic, tennis world number one, has committed to the ATP Cup in Sydney, indicating that he could also be pursuing a record-breaking 21st major title at next month’s Australian Open.
The news that the Serbian great will compete in the men’s teams event at the start of January – and will return to Australia, where he has an unblemished record – was hailed by Australian doubles icon Todd Woodbridge, who called it “brilliant news.”
The Australian Open, which begins on January 17, will require players and staff to be COVID-19 vaccinated, but Djokovic has refused to reveal his vaccination status.
Tennis Australia’s Chief Executive Officer, Craig Tiley, has stated that tennis stars wishing to play in Australia would need “certified proof of vaccination.” Tennis Australia (TA) insisted that all players arriving in Australia must meet severe health-related requirements or face a two-week quarantine.
But a TA spokesperson said: “We can confirm that everyone entering Australia for the summer of tennis will need to meet the strict requirements set by health authorities across the country.
“These include certified proof of vaccination, or a valid medical exemption approved by Australian medical officials. What has also been made clear by health officials is that international arrivals who don’t meet these requirements will need to quarantine for 14 days.”
The question of unvaccinated tennis players being permitted to compete in the Australian Open became more convoluted in October, when Prime Minister Scott Morrison suggested that such players should be classified as employees with specialised talents and granted an entry exemption.
However, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews promptly rebuffed the proposal, stating firmly that the state would not ask for an exemption permitting tennis players to do so. And, Tiley added that all players were required to be vaccinated.
“Everyone knows they have to be vaccinated seven days before they arrive in Australia,” Tiley said, “and of course they have the choice of all the vaccines … so they could just get one shot coming in.
“Novak has made it clear that his status is private and personal to him, and he’s completely entitled to that position. However, to come into Australia there will need to be certified proof of vaccination that gets cleared by the medical officials here, and that will be the same for everyone, everyone coming in.
“Everyone understands it. It has been well-received. We have contributed to more players getting vaccinated because we are the first event that’s required mandatory vaccinations.”
At the tournament introduction in Sydney on Tuesday, the 16 teams for the ATP Cup, which is organised by Tennis Australia and the ATP, were announced.
Former Australian player Woodbridge was pleased to see Djokovic included. He also praised the Serb’s performance, saying that Djokovic was well-positioned to surpass Nadal and Federer, who all have 20 grand slam victories.
“This is brilliant news [Djokovic’s commitment to come to Australia] for the tournament, for Novak fans,” Woodbridge said.
“There is so much at stake for him with what’s coming with his grand slam record, and he had the option or not to enter this tournament. The fact he has put his name down is a huge positive.”
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
