Tennis star Novak Djokovic withdraws from ATP Cup, won’t reveal vaccination status
Posted December 29, 2021 8:27 am.
Tennis superstar and World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the upcoming ATP Cup in Sydney as speculation runs rampant over his vaccination status.
The 34-year-old Serbian has continually declined to reveal if he has been inoculated against COVID-19. In November, Djokovic repeated his stance about freedom of choice over taking the vaccine.
“World No.1 Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the 2022 ATP Cup,” ATP Cup organizers said in a statement on Wednesday.
The ATP Cup begins on Dec. 31 and will run until Jan. 9, 2022, followed by the Australian Open, which kicks off on Jan. 17. Djokovic has said he’s going to have to “wait and see” if he plays the Australian Open.
Tournament chief Craig Tiley said last month that everyone who attends the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of 2022 will need to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, including all the players.
“Everyone on site, the fans, all the staff, the players, will need to be vaccinated,” Tiley said at the tournament’s official launch. “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,” Tiley added.
Djokovic has won a record nine Australian Open titles including the last three.
In April 2020, Djokovic said he would be opposed to a compulsory vaccination against COVID-19 if players were required to take it.
“Personally I am opposed to vaccination and I wouldn’t want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine in order to be able to travel,” Djokovic said in a Facebook live chat.
“But if it becomes compulsory, what will happen? I will have to make a decision. I have my own thoughts about the matter and whether those thoughts will change at some point, I don’t know.”
With files from Sportsnet and The Associated Press
