December 29, (THEWILL) – World number one Novak Djokovic has pulled out of the ATP Cup in Sydney, putting his participation in the 2022 Australian Open in jeopardy. Prior to being ruled out on Wednesday, he was billed to be a definite participant in the ATP Cup, which begins on January 1.
There have been considerable doubts about whether the Serbian will fly to Australia after he declined to say whether or not he was vaccinated against COVID-19.
THEWILL recalls that the statutes hold unless they have a medical exemption, all players willing to participate in the Australian Open or the warm-up events in Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide must be vaccinated.
Djokovic was not on the first charter planes to arrive in Australia this week, which Tennis Australia organised for players to lessen the danger of COVID-19 infections.
Much has been made about Djokovic’s stance on vaccinations but there are signs that the world number one is likely to play at the Australian Open, which does not begin until January 17 next year.
After withdrawing from the ATP Cup, Djokovic, who will be attempting to capture a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam singles championship in Melbourne, could still fly commercially and compete in other warm-up events.
Russian professional Andrey Rublev, as well as compatriots Aslan Karatsev and Evgeny Donskoy, have withdrawn from the ATP Cup, with Evgeny Karlovskiy joining the team.
Following the withdrawals of Dominic Thiem and Dennis Novak from the ATP Cup, France has been added to the line-up, replacing Austria in Group B.
Ugo Humbert, the world number 35, will lead the French team, which also includes Arthur Rinderknech, Edouard Roger-Vasselin, and Fabrice Martin.
The ATP Cup will commence on January 1 at Sydney Olympic Park’s Ken Rosewall Arena and Qudos Bank Arena.
About the Author
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.
