The ongoing saga surrounding Novak Djokovic’s plans of playing in the Australian Open appears to be reaching its conclusion with the head of the tournament expecting a decision in the coming days.
Djokovic is still to confirm if he will be playing at the Grand Slam event which will get underway on January 17th. This year’s tournament is only allowing players to play if they have been double vaccinated against COVID-19 unless they qualify for a medical exemption. The world No.1 has refused to disclose his vaccination status in public which has fuelled speculation about if he will be allowed to play.
The AFP news Agency has stated that there is speculation that Djokovic has applied for a medical exemption but it is unclear as to what reason he has used. This has also been reported by some Serbian newspapers but nothing has officially been confirmed.
Craig Tiley, who is the tournament director of the Australian Open, says there is ‘still quite a bit to be played out’ concerning Djokovic without elaborating any further. The tennis chief says he expects all players to be in the country by the end of the week.
“We’ve still got a few charter flights coming in until the end of this week and then all the players will be here,” he told the Nine Network.
“As far as the status relates to Novak, I think we’ll have a much clearer picture in the coming days otherwise it’s getting pretty late to show up and play the Australian Open.”
“There’s quite a bit to play out and I think it will play out in the coming days,” he added.
Djokovic has won the Australian Open a record nine times. Should he skip the major he will miss out on a chance to lift his 21st Grand Slam title, which would be a new record in men’s tennis. Taking him past rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
In recent days Djokovic has been training at the Puente Romano Tennis Club in Marbella, Spain. According to Spanish newspaper Marca, he is training at the facility as it is a milder climate than that of his native Belgrade. He is at the club with coach Marian Vajda, physio Ulisés Badio and his trainer Marco Panichi.
Djokovic hasn’t missed the Australian Open since making his debut back in 2005.
