Will vaccine sceptic Novak really miss Oz?
NoVAK DJoKoVIC has still not confirmed whether he will travel to next month’s Australian open.
The nine-time champion’s participation at the season-opening Grand slam is in doubt because of the strict vaccine requirements in Melbourne.
Djokovic is due to headline the evening session on the opening night of the ATP Cup team event on January 1, but he has yet to confirm his presence at that tournament even to event organisers. His vaccine scepticism is well-documented.
Whatever his views, the temptation to go must be overwhelming given he stands on 20 Grand slam titles with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, and that Melbourne is his ‘banker’.
yesterday brought more announcements from players who will either delay their trip to Australia or abandon it altogether. switzerland’s Belinda Bencic became the latest to reveal she had caught Covid-19, after Nadal confirmed on Monday that he had tested positive.
Neither have pulled out yet, but world No 32 Karolina Muchova and American Jennifer Brady, last year’s beaten finalist, have withdrawn due to injuries. Federer and serena Williams are already out, and even before his diagnosis, Nadal suggested he might not be ready due to his slow recovery from foot problems.
Wimbledon finalist Karolina Pliskova will be a no-show due to a hand injury, world No4 stefanos Tsitsipas is another doubt and 2019 Us open champion Bianca Andreescu cited her mental health as the reason not to go.
The only players to have confirmed that they will not play due to the vaccine issue are France’s Pierre-Hugues Herbert, Australian olivia Gadecki and Russian Natalia Vikhlyantseva. But it is possible there are others who do not wish to travel and are not giving their full reasons.