Will Novak Djokovic play in the Australian Open? The world number 1 has, for weeks, left a doubt about his presence during the first Grand Slam of the season (from January 17 to 30) because of the drastic health measures put in place in the country. The Serb, winner of 20 Majors, has in particular always refused to say if he was vaccinated, a condition imposed for any entry into the country. But the announcement, on the night of Monday to Tuesday, of his selection for the ATP Cup, which will open the tennis season in Sydney in January, gave hope to his fans.
In the press release announcing the draw for the ATP Cup, Djokovic is included in the list of five players presented by Serbia. One cannot imagine the organizers of the event or the Serbian leaders advancing on the presence of Djokovic without speaking upstream to the person concerned.
The ATP Cup is a competition that brings together sixteen nations and takes place from January 1 to 9 as the curtain raiser of the tennis season, ahead of the Grand Slam tournament in Melbourne.
After his team’s defeat in the Davis Cup last week, the 34-year-old Serbian promised a decision “very soon” on his participation in the Australian Open, which organizers had confirmed no exemptions from. vaccine obligation would not be made.
The player’s father, for his part, said last month on Serbian television that his son “probably would not play” in Australia “under these conditions, with this blackmail, and when it is done this way”.
Russia with its Davis Cup winners
Djokovic, who is a three-time defending champion in Australia and has already lifted the trophy 10 times, contracted Covid-19 without showing symptoms in June 2020 during the Adria Tour tournament he was organizing in the Balkan peninsula.
Rafael Nadal, also winner of 20 Grand Slam tournaments, is not part of the Spanish squad, after suggesting last month that he would take part in an exhibition in Abu Dhabi and then another tournament before arriving in Melbourne for the Australian Open.
The only other absent among the 20 best players in the world is the Swiss Roger Federer, injured, who is not expected to return to the circuit before the summer of 2022.
Defending champion Russia and recent Davis Cup winner will once again be led by Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev.
