Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open? "We will see."
Novak Djokovic will compete for Serbia in the Davis Cup in the coming days. After his loss to Alexander Zverev at the ATP Finals in Turin, he left it open whether the world number one will also travel to Melbourne for the Australian Open.
by SID
last edit: Nov 21, 2021, 08:27 am
Novak Djokovic is keeping a low profile regarding his vaccination status and thus leaves a start at the Australian Open open. "We'll see. We'll have to wait and see," the world number one replied abruptly on Saturday evening when asked whether he would defend his title in Melbourne (from January 17th). The organizers of the first Grand Slam tournament of the year had previously announced that only vaccinated tennis professionals are allowed to serve at the Australian Open.
The Grand Slam record champion had repeatedly emphasized his desire to participate in Melbourne, but always avoided giving public information about his vaccination status. At the Australian Open, Djokovic is the record winner with nine titles. With his 21st major triumph, he would leave his rivals Roger Federer (Switzerland) and Rafael Nadal (Spain / both 20 titles) behind in the best list.
Zverev - "Djokovic should be there"
He had no contact with the organizers in Melbourne around tournament boss Craig Tiley before their decision, said Djokovic after the defeat at the ATP Finals against Olympic champion Alexander Zverev (Hamburg) and the resulting missed entry into the final. "I didn't speak to them. I was just waiting to see what decision would come. Now we'll have to see," said the 34-year-old.
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Zverev, on the other hand, showed full understanding of the requirements of the Australian state of Victoria. "We're visiting another country. It's not about tennis, it's about the virus," said the German number one: "At the end of the day, the country allows us to enter. So we have to follow the rules." Still, Zverev hope that Djokovic can play in Australia: "He's number one in the world, he should be there."