The Serbian tennis world primary might be prohibited from defending his different competitors crowns
Novak Djokovic arrived house in Serbia initially of the week, concluding an Australian Open cleaning soap opera that has dominated the headlines for the previous fortnight.
Believing a medical exemption can be sufficient to intention for a report 10th title on the Melbourne spectacle, the 34-year-old ended up being deported after the Australian authorities argued that the presence of the unvaccinated star risked inciting anti-vaxx sentiment among the many inhabitants.
READ MORE: Australian court docket units date for Djokovic rationalization
Whereas Djokovic has already been disadvantaged of the possibility to assert the opening Grand Slam of the yr, there are already indicators that among the remaining three Main crowns on supply may be positioned past his attain for vaccine-related causes.
French Open
Subsequent up on the Grand Slam calendar is the Roland-Garros clay-court showpiece which kicks off within the French capital on Could 22.
Djokovic beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in 5 units to win the title final time spherical, however French Sports activities Minister Roxana Maracineanu has already signaled that athletes will must be vaccinated to be able to compete in Paris this spring.
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Djokovic going through recent Grand Slam blow The French parliament lately permitted new vaccine passport legal guidelines, with the French Sports activities Ministry insisting the principles “apply to everybody who’s a spectator or an expert sportsperson” till additional discover.
“So far as Roland-Garros is worried, it is in Could. The scenario might change between from time to time and we hope it’s going to be extra favorable. So we’ll see, however clearly there is not any exemption [for anyone unvaccinated],” a spokesperson confirmed.
Christophe Castaner, head of President Emmanuel Macron’s ruling LREM celebration within the Nationwide Meeting, went one additional by saying that Djokovic attempting to reclaim high honors in Paris whereas unvaccinated is “out of the query.”
Wimbledon
Issues no less than seem just a little extra promising for Djokovic for the third Grand Slam of the yr at SW19, the place the Serb is once more the defending champion.
Ought to he nonetheless stay unvaccinated, Djokovic will doubtless face Covid restrictions resembling testing previous to arrival, and potential quarantine and additional testing as soon as he’s within the UK.
Djokovic is reigning Wimbledon champion. © Getty Pictures However as issues stand, reviews have indicated that the All England Membership will merely observe authorities pointers, fairly than mimicking the likes of the Australian Open by including extra layers of authorization by means of issues resembling vaccine exemption medical panels.
Tennis bosses may nonetheless impose particular guidelines and pointers, however they’ve made no indication of what these is perhaps – if any – as we’re nonetheless 5 months away from the grass-court showpiece getting underway on the finish of June.
Ought to he line up, Djokovic might be aiming for a seventh Wimbledon title.
US Open
Shedding to Russian Daniil Medvedev within the 2021 ultimate at Flushing Meadows prevented Djokovic from turning into the primary man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win all 4 Grand Slams in a calendar yr.
Some followers there had voiced anger that they wanted to be vaccinated to observe, whereas the rivals did not.
New York has since launched vaccine mandates which cowl resident athletes competing at indoor venues, though at current non-residents are exempt.
Djokovic was runner-up final time spherical at Flushing Meadows. © Getty Pictures However maybe much more considerably, with the US now requiring flying international guests to be totally vaccinated – with solely ‘restricted exceptions’ – the possibilities of Djokovic avenging the Medvedev loss appear a lot much less doubtless as he may not even be allowed to set foot within the nation.
All in all, it is appear Djokovic will proceed to face important roadblocks in his bid to surpass generational rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer within the all-time Grand Slam stakes, with the trio at present tied on 20 titles every.