World No. 1 Novak Djokovic isn’t ready to say whether he will defend his Australian Open title next month in Melbourne.
The issue: Tournament participants are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19, and Djokovic has refused to say whether he has been. He previously has stated his opposition to vaccination mandates for players.
Instead, he evaded the questions when asked Friday at the conclusion of his run in the Davis Cup about his plans for 2022. His Serbian team lost to Croatia in the semifinals in Madrid.
“I understand you want answers on where and how I am going to start the new season, but we’ll see what the future holds,” said Djokovic, 34.
He has won a record nine times in Melbourne and is tied with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for the most all-time Grand Slam wins with 20.
“I can’t give you a date, but obviously the Australian Open is coming soon, so you will know very soon.”
He added: “I will try to use the next few days to recover, rest and forget about tennis. I am really tired from this season and all this year.”
In 2021, Djokovic was 51-7 and won five titles, including Wimbledon and the French Open, in addition to the Australian.
–Field Level Media
