Speaking on Saturday, tournament chief Craig Tiley said: "We would love to have Novak here, he knows that he'll have to be vaccinated to play here." Djokovic, a nine-time Australian Open winner, has so far not disclosed whether he is vaccinated
Saturday 20 November 2021 08:24, UK
Novak Djokovic and all players will only be allowed to participate in the 2022 Australian Open if they are vaccinated against Covid-19, Tennis Australia has confirmed.
World No 1 Djokovic, a nine-time winner of the tournament, has so far not disclosed whether he is vaccinated and said that he would wait until the organisers revealed the health protocols before he made a decision about playing.
The first Grand Slam of the season is due to start on January 17 in Melbourne, Victoria.
Speaking on Saturday, tournament chief Craig Tiley said: "Everyone on site - the fans, the staff and the players - will need to be vaccinated in order to participate in this year's Australian Open.
"There has been a lot of speculation around Novak's position. He has noted and said publicly that it is a private matter. We would love to see Novak here [but] he knows he has to be vaccinated in order to play."
Djokovic, 34, could win a record-breaking 21st men's Grand Slam title if he defended his title early next year.
Speaking this week at the season-ending ATP Tour finals in Turin, Djokovic insisted: "You should have the freedom to choose, to decide what you want to do. In this particular case, what you want to put in your body."
Djokovic sparked anger last year when he wrote a letter during the build-up to the tournament suggesting the strict 14-day quarantine rules for top players should be relaxed.
In 2020, his charity event in Belgrade ended in a fiasco with a number of top players - including Djokovic - testing positive following a tournament which appeared to ignore social-distancing.
Last month, a letter distributed to WTA players said unvaccinated tennis players may be allowed to play but would face two weeks of hard quarantine and regular testing.
However, that was contradictory to previous federal and state government advice.
Tiley said he has been assured leading women's players Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka will play in Melbourne.
"I have been on the phone with Serena in the last 48 hours and she is preparing to be here in January," he added.
It was also confirmed at the tournament launch that there would be no crowd limits at Melbourne Park, after Covid-19 restrictions were eased earlier this week in Victoria.
The 2021 Australian Open was limited in spectator numbers as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and saw a snap five-day lockdown enforced midway through the event.
The event also saw 1,000 players, officials and support staff required to complete a 14-day quarantine period on their arrival in Australia.
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