Australian Open to require COVID vaccine, leaving Novak Djokovic's status in question

Nine-time Australian Open winner and current No. 1-ranked Novak Djokovic hasn't revealed his vaccine status, but he won't be able to compete for a 10th title in Australia unless he can prove he's vaccinated against COVID-19.

"Everyone on site, the fans, all the staff, the players, will need to be vaccinated," Australian Open director Craig Tiley said Saturday, via Marca.com. "There's been a lot of speculation about Novak's position, he's said it's a private matter. We would love to see Novak here, but he knows he needs to be vaccinated in order to play. He's always said that the Australian Open is the event that puts the wind in his sails."

In October, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews drew a line in the sand and said no exemptions would be made for unvaccinated players. While Tennis Australia was reportedly optimistic that negotiations with the government would allow unvaccinated players to participate following a two-week quarantine, Tiley's announcement Saturday confirms the tournament will move forward with vaccinated players only.

Djokovic, 34, has declined to answer questions about his vaccination status, but his frequent comments against vaccine mandates has led many to believe he's not vaccinated.

In April 2020, long before COVID-19 vaccines were publicly available, Djokovic said he was "opposed to vaccination." Six months later, he partially walked back the comment and said he's "not against vaccination of any kind," but it's "unacceptable" to force him to take one. He's stuck to that stance since, and said earlier in November that "freedom of choice is essential for everyone."

The Australian Open will begin Monday, January 17 and is unlikely to feature Roger Federer, who is recovering from knee surgery. The champion of the Australian Open has been either Djokovic or Federer for seven consecutive years and 14 out of the last 16.