Thiem triggers vaccination dispute

Since the Mallorca Open in June, our number one has not been able to play a game on the ATP tour. Reason: Thiem injured his right wrist so badly at the tournament on the Spanish holiday island that his comeback can take place at the Australian Open in spring 2022 at the earliest. But now this date is shaky too, because the Lower Austrian is still not vaccinated against Corona. It was precisely during the current Stadthallen tournament that Thiem’s ​​vaccination status became a major issue. Not least because Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein Thiem had a public announcement that he would be vaccinated and even wrote a letter to our tennis star.

Thiem is waiting for Novavax approval

Mückstein’s appeal was followed by SPÖ boss Pamela Rendi-Wagner, who offered a consultation, and European Minister Karoline Edtstadler. Your tenor: Thiem should finally pick up the sting as a popular local athlete. But the US Open winner of 2020 is not considered a vaccine refuser, but much more a hesitant. After medical consultation, he continues to wait for the so-called “dead vaccine” Novavax. But the US protein-based vaccine has still not been approved. This puts Thiem under public and athletic pressure, because only vaccinated players are allowed to play at the Grand Slam tournament in Melbourne.

No appearance as a TV expert in Vienna possible

Thiem’s ​​environment further assures that the vaccination is only a matter of time. But the race with them has already meant that he could not act as an expert for ServusTV in Vienna, since as an unvaccinated person he should have been refused entry into the town hall. An embarrassing circumstance that was not communicated publicly. Thiem does not want to comment on the vaccination issue, instead he posted photos from Barcelona via Instagram. The agency of Thiem’s ​​manager Galo Blanco is based in the Catalan capital. Now would be the ideal time for some good advice so that Thiem will soon be making exclusively sporting headlines again.