No jab, no Aussie open for players

MELBOURNE • The Australian Open in January will become the first Grand Slam tennis tournament to require that players be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, a decision that casts doubt on the participation of Novak Djokovic, the world No. 1 and defending men's singles champion.

Tournament director Craig Tiley yesterday confirmed the new policy in a television interview, piling more pressure on the Serb, who has declined to divulge his vaccination status.

"It is the one direction that you can take that you can ensure everyone's safety, and all the playing group understands it," Tiley said of requiring players to be inoculated.

"Our patrons will need to be vaccinated. All the staff working the Australian Open will need to be vaccinated, but when we're in a state where there's more than 90 per cent of the population fully vaccinated - they've done a magnificent job with that - it's the right thing to do."

"We would love to see Novak here. He knows that he'll have to be vaccinated to play here. He's won the Australian Open nine times, I think he'd love to make it double digits and win it 10 times."

The announcement ended months of speculation and mixed messages from Australian government officials. Federal authorities had indicated that unvaccinated players might be able to enter Australia and compete in the tournament after a 14-day quarantine.

But Daniel Andrews, the premier of the state of Victoria, which hosts the Major, has been adamant that players will need to be fully vaccinated, just like Australian Open spectators and on-site employees.

While both the men's ATP and women's WTA Tours have encouraged players to get vaccinated, all four Grand Slam tournaments this year allowed unvaccinated players to participate, as have regular events, including the ATP Finals now on in Turin, Italy.

Mandatory vaccination is not something ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi is a fan of, even as he revealed the vaccination rate for the top 100 men's singles players was "above 80 per cent".

"We are moving toward 90 per cent, 95 per cent of fully vaccinated," he said on Friday. "A lot will do it in the off-season with one shot. It's an unfortunate situation. I really hope in the future, there's going to be a change: at the minimum, providing exceptions even with a hard quarantine of seven or 14 days, but allowing entry."

The Australian Open is set to start on Jan 17 and bumper crowds are expected as long-standing restrictions have been swept aside, including capacity limits on sporting events.

Roger Federer will miss out as he continues his rehabilitation from a second knee surgery. But Tiley said Rafael Nadal, out with injury since August, will return in search of a 21st Slam crown, as will Serena Williams, who has not played since retiring at Wimbledon.

But Djokovic arguably has the biggest incentive to get jabbed. Not only does he have the chance to make it a record-extending 10th title at Melbourne Park, but he will also be the favourite to claim a record 21st Slam, breaking him out of a tie with Nadal and Federer.

Tiley said: "He has always said the Australian Open is the event that puts the wind in his sails. So I hope we get to see Novak."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, NYTIMES