Australian Open: Compulsory vaccination - The WTA informs its players
Anyone wishing to take part in the Australian Open 2022 must be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, which the WTA has now indirectly confirmed in a broadcast to its players.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Nov 20, 2021, 09:02 am
The clock is ticking, namely the vaccination clock. That is the core message of information that the WTA has sent its players in the last few days. It is an example of when the vaccinations from four different manufacturers (Moderna, Pfizer / Biontech, Astra Zeneca and Johnson) must have been received in order to be allowed to enter Australia on a certain date. The option to go to the first major of the year unvaccinated after a 14-day quarantine is now definitely off the table.
Of course, this will apply to the same extent to the men who want to start the ATP Cup on January 3rd. Two ATP Tour 250 events are to be held at the same time. At the beginning of 2021, the entire tennis scene was gathered before the Australian Open in Melbourne, this time the usual options with Brisbane, Sydney, Perth or Adelaide seem to be valid options again.
So it will be interesting to see who will be at the start of the first Grand Slam tournament in 2022. And who doesn't. This applies above all to the two defending champions: Novak Djokovic presents himself in impressive form these days in Turin, but the vaccination status of the world number one is unclear. Naomi Osaka, on the other hand, has announced a return to the tennis circuit. When and where this will take place has not yet been determined.