Australian Open confirms that players must be vaccinated against Covid-19 in 2022
Full vaccination will be required at the 2022 Australian for all players and fans, with attendance at full capacity.
Tennis – Australian Open – Women’s Singles Final – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, February 20, 2021 General view of fans in the arena during the final match between Japan’s Naomi Osaka and Jennifer Brady of the U.S. (Panoramic)
The Australian Open confirmed on Saturday that all players who want to compete at the 2022 event will need to ensure they are fully vaccinated against Covid-19. The rule will also apply to staff, media and fans for the first Grand Slam of the year, which will also be played at full capacity.
Tiley: Hoping Nine-Time champion Djokovic Attends
The vaccination could present a problem for nine-time champion Novak Djokovic, who has been reluctant to discuss his vaccination status of late. Already reeling from the recent pull-out of five-time champion Roger Federer, tournament CEO Craig Tiley expressed hope that Djokovic will take his place in the main draw.
“Obviously there is a lot of speculation around vaccination,” Tiley said. “The good news is that most of the tennis players both on the men’s and the women’s side are fully vaccinated, and Novak, as he has previously said, that’s a private issue for him.”
Tiley seemed hopeful that Djokovic could attend.
“He’s had great success here in Melbourne, and he’s always said that the Australian Open is the event that puts the wind in his sails – I hope we get to see Novak.”
Full vaccination across the board – the right thing to do
Tiley said that requiring full vaccination for everybody who comes through the gates is the right thing to do for the community.
“It’s been made very clear, when the premier announced several weeks ago that in order to participate at the Australian Open, to come into Victoria, you’ll need to be fully vaccinated,” he said. “Immediately we communicated that to the playing group. It is the one direction that you take that can ensure everyone’s safety.
“All the playing group understands it. Our patrons will need to be vaccinated, all the staff working the Australian Open will need to be vaccinated, when you’re in a state where there is more than 90 percent of the population fully vaccinated, it’s the right thing to do.”
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Sad to hear that Australia is not learning from past and continuing to rule by force and coercion, remember Germany, will no longer support tennis , just support the players right to choose