The Australian Open has put forward strong restrictions on participation at the 2022 event, with just a handful of workarounds to vaccination.
After much speculation, the Australian Open confirmed that players wishing to take part in the January Slam must be fully vaccinated to be eligible.
However, there is the possibility for a few players to compete without being double jabbed providing they meet specific medical criteria to be exempt.
Those exemptions are:
– If a player has a history of allergic reaction to all approved Covid-19 vaccines.
– If a player has experienced a ‘serious adverse event’ linked to the first dose of an approved vaccine which has resulted in hospitalisation or some significant disability/incapacity.
– If a player is currently suffering from an acute medical condition.
– If within the past six months the player has suffered from an inflammatory cardiac illness.
Moreover, players who are pregnant, suffering from a chronic underlying medical condition or have a family history of adverse event; will not be allowed a medical exemption on those grounds.
Players travelling down under must take a Covid-19 test prior to flying and upon landing.
Tennis Australia is further urging players to use one of their chartered flights in order to minimise the risk of possible infections.
The tournament will kick off on 17th January, with the women’s final on 29th January and the men’s on 30th January.
World number one Novak Djokovic is still notably unconfirmed for the event as his vaccination status is still unknown.
His father Srdjan Djokovic believes Novak “will probably not play the Australian Open.”
The move would be unprecedented, with Djokovic having played 17 consecutive events since his debut in 2005.
Daniel Andrews said refusing to consider exemptions for players like Novak Djokovic, who has repeatedly refused to reveal his vaccination status, was “the only fair thing to do”, given fans and people working at the tournament are required to be double-jabbed.
“I want to be very clear with every Victorian, my government won’t be applying for an exemption for any unvaccinated player,” Andrews said.
“I am not going to ask and require people sitting in the grandstand, people working at the event to be vaccinated while players aren’t. We’re not going to be applying for an exemption. Therefore the issue is basically resolved.”
