A top Australian player says he hopes his home Grand Slam will provide an opportunity for all players to participate in next year’s draw regardless of their vaccination status against COVID-19.
John Millman, who states that he is ‘pro vaccination,’ says players who have not been jabbed and are willing to go through quarantine should be given the opportunity to take part in the Australian Open. His comments come amid a dispute between leading political figures over what the rules should be for players arriving at the tournament. Earlier this week Prime Minister Scott Morrison indicated that he would welcome unvaccinated players to play at the Australian Open providing they go through a 14-day quarantine upon arrival. However, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said that he would not be requesting any exceptions for players in relation to a recent health mandate requiring mandatory vaccinations for all key workers, including athletes, in his region.
The ongoing debate on the entry requirements comes less than two months before players usually begin travelling to Australia in order to prepare for the Grand Slam which starts on January 17th. World No.1 Novak Djokovic and US Open champion Daniil Medvedev have both said they do not wish to speak publicly about whether they have received a vaccination or not. The ATP and WTA have previously issued estimates regarding the percentage of their players who have received a vaccination but never reveal their names. So it is unclear as to how many top players could be affected in the coming weeks.
“I’m pro vaccination. I’m all for getting the jab. I’ve had it over here and I’m feeling good,” Millman said on Melbourne radio station 3AW.
“But I do want to see an opportunity for all the players to be able to play tennis, whether that be unvaccinated people having to go in and do the 14 days hard quarantine, like we’ve seen throughout the year – people returning back home who’ve been unvaccinated do. I’d like to see them at least have that opportunity.
“It is encouraging that those who are vaccinated can come in and play the Australian Open, definitely.”
World No.57 Millman is a member of the ATP Players Council alongside the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray. The 32-year-old said the council have been urging their peers to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
“The ATP’s stance is they haven’t made it compulsory for players to get the vaccination, but they’re not going to stand in the way of [the rules set by] governments and local jurisdictions,” he said.
“The men’s tour’s now up around 70 per cent [double dosed] and that number’s going up each day in terms of the guys in the top 100.”
The rise in the vaccination rate isn’t entirely due to the threat posed by the Australian Open. In a leaked email seen by Tennis Majors earlier this week, the ATP has warned that unvaccinated players may find life on the Tour more difficult in 2022. They could be subjected to more tests than those who have been vaccinated and might have to contribute towards the cost. Furthermore, Unvaccinated players who test positive for Covid-19 before an event, or who are deemed a close contact of someone who tests positive – and have to withdraw – will not receive “prize money compensation.”
Despite the uncertainty cast over the Australian Open, Millman remains confident that most leading players will still attend due to the significance of the event.
“I think that they will still come,” he said.
“I can’t speak for them, but I do believe that the majority of players, even if they are unvaccinated, would still come, even if it meant doing the 14 days.
“It’s not ideal. I’ve done that [hard quarantine] before. It is extremely hard to ‘find’ the tennis ball when you come out of it.
“The Australian Open at the end of the day – it is one of the four biggest events that we have. It’s a great opportunity. You don’t get to play grand slams day in, day out. [But with] both the accolades of playing a grand slam and doing well in a grand slam, along with the prize money that’s on offer, I think is a nice caveat.”
It is unclear as to when a final decision on entry requirements will be made. In a recent interview, Djokovic told a Serbian newspaper that he is expecting the rules to be finalised during the first two weeks of November based on the information he has received.
Tennis Australia, who runs the tournament, recently issued a statement saying they are optimistic that they can hold the event ‘as close to pre-pandemic conditions as possible.’ Although they will not have the final say regarding allowing unvaccinated players to attend. That decision will be made by the government.
