Aussie open only for vaxxed
Organisers reiterate vaccine mandate; say Djokovic's entry not finalised yet
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SYDNEY • No tennis players hoping to compete at the Australian Open have yet been granted medical exemption from vaccination, tournament director Craig Tiley said yesterday, as he reiterated that everyone at Melbourne Park would need to be fully inoculated.
He also said that Novak Djokovic being named on the Australian Open entry list on Wednesday implied nothing about his Covid-19 vaccination status, which the world No. 1 has declined to disclose, citing privacy.
"To be clear upfront, no one can play the Australian Open unless they are vaccinated," Tiley told Australian broadcaster ABC.
"The only condition at which, outside of being vaccinated, that you could compete is if you receive a medically approved exemption from Australian authorities. There is an independent panel of medical specialists, and they see a blind copy of the medical exemption request. That goes to that expert panel, they will make the call.
"I've seen reports this morning. There's been no medical exemptions that have been granted at this point."
According to Tiley, about 95 per cent of the tennis community is now fully vaccinated.
"We are now in a position, over six weeks ago, 50 per cent of tennis players globally were vaccinated, and now it is more than 95 per cent. That is a significant improvement," he said.
He added that appearing on the entry list had no bearing on whether Djokovic would actually be in Melbourne from Jan 17-30 seeking a 10th Australian Open title and a record 21st men's Grand Slam singles title.
"Everyone goes on the entry list," Tiley said. "It's not a commitment list about exactly who's in the draw. That comes in several weeks' time when the actual list and draw gets finalised for the Australian Open."
Neither Serena Williams, having decided not to compete on advice from her medical team, nor 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer, who is still recovering from a series of knee operations, are on the list.
Djokovic said last week that he would be making a decision "very soon" about whether to travel to Australia. His father Srdjan said last month that he was unlikely to play and described the vaccination requirement as being akin to "blackmail".
The 34-year-old was named in Serbia's team for the season-opening ATP Cup next month in Sydney.
To play without being vaccinated in the New South Wales capital, the state government would have to apply for an exemption for Djokovic, who would also have to undergo 14 days' quarantine upon arrival.
REUTERS