Novak Djokovic To Defend Australian Open Title After Being Granted Medical Exemption From Vaccine

Joe MorganJanuary 4, 2022

The world’s number one male tennis player will be competing at the 2022 Australian Open.

After months of speculation due to vaccination requirements at the tournament, Novak Djokovic has received a medical exemption in order to begin the defense of his 2021 Australian Open title.

“Novak Djokovic will compete at the Australian Open and is on his way to Australia,” the tournament said in a statement.

“Djokovic applied for a medical exemption which was granted following a rigorous review process involving two separate independent panels of medical experts,” the tournament continued. “One of those was the Independent Medical Exemption Review Panel appointed by the Victorian Department of Health. They assessed all applications to see if they met the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) guidelines.”

Djokovic confirmed the news on social media, saying he’s “heading Down Under” on Tuesday.

“Happy New Year! Wishing you all health, love & joy in every moment & may you feel love & respect towards all beings on this wonderful planet,” Djokovic posted. “I’ve spent fantastic quality time with loved ones over break & today I’m heading Down Under with an exemption permission. Let’s go 2022!”

Happy New Year! Wishing you all health, love & joy in every moment & may you feel love & respect towards all beings on this wonderful planet.

I’ve spent fantastic quality time with loved ones over break & today I’m heading Down Under with an exemption permission. Let’s go 2022! pic.twitter.com/e688iSO2d4

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) January 4, 2022

The Australian Open requires all players to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or receive a medical exemption. The requirement also applies to fans and staff attending the tournament.

“Fair and independent protocols were established for assessing medical exemption applications that will enable us to ensure Australian Open 2022 is safe and enjoyable for everyone,” tournament director Craig Tiley said.

“Central to this process was that the decisions were made by independent medical experts and that every applicant was given due consideration,” Tiley continued.

The nine-time Australian Open champion is coming off a season in which Djokovic won three of the four majors, including the 2021 tournament in Melbourne. And yet, it’s been unclear over the past several months whether he would be allowed to enter the 2022 Open because of his vaccination status.

“I won’t disclose whether I am vaccinated or not,” Djokovic told Sasa Ozmo in October.

“Too many people allow themselves the freedom to ask and then to judge,” he continued. “Whatever you say — I have, I have not, maybe, I do not know or I am thinking about it — they will use it against you. There is excessive speculation, from the media as well, which bothers me a lot.”

One of Djokovic’s main rivals through the years — Rafael Nadal — will also be competing in the Australian Open, and called those that remain unvaccinated “a bit selfish.”

“I understand that there are people who do not want to be vaccinated, but it seems a bit selfish to me,” the 20-time Grand Slam champion said in November. “We have suffered a lot.”

“We do not know 100 percent the effects of vaccines, but we do have to trust the doctors… we do know the effect of the virus if we are not vaccinated. It seems that today we [Spain] are the country that is least affected by the virus and I think it is because we have a large part of the population vaccinated,” Nadal added.

The tournament begins January 17 and runs through January 30.

Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to [email protected].

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