Melbourne champion Djokovic. / Picture: REUTERS
World number one Novak Djokovic announced on Monday that he is not sure whether he will start at the Australian Open in Melbourne. The defending champion at the first tennis grand slam of the year next January wants to keep to himself whether he is vaccinated against Covid-19.
However, the Australian state of Victoria, where the Australian Open takes place, has introduced compulsory vaccination for professionals, although it is unclear whether this also applies to sports professionals from abroad or whether there should be a rumored three-week quarantine instead. “The way things are, I still don't know whether I'll fly to Melbourne,” Djokovic told the online edition of the Serbian daily “Blic”.
“I will not publish my vaccination status, it is a private matter and an inappropriate question. People go too far these days to ask such questions and then condemn a person,” said the “Djoker”, who was only in the US finals this year Open at the “Grand Slam”, the win of all four majors in the same calendar year, had failed. “Whatever you say, yes, no, maybe, I'll think about it .. it will be used against you.”
Of course he wants to go there, after all, Melbourne is his most successful Grand Slam tournament (9 titles). According to his manager, everything is being done to improve conditions for those who have been vaccinated and those who have not been vaccinated. For this year, Djokovic confirmed, he still has the Masters 1000 tournament in Paris-Bercy, the ATP Finals in Turin and the Davis Cup final tournament on the agenda. Interesting for Austria's Davis Cup team, which will meet Serbia and Germany in their group in Innsbruck.
