Novak Djokovic played an almost perfect 2021 in which he hit the legendary finish line of the Calendar Grand Slam. After winning the first three slams of the season, the world number 1 also reached the final at the US Open, where he was literally one step away from making history.
A physically and mentally blocked Nole surrendered sharply to Daniil Medvedev at Arthur Ashe Stadium and perhaps saw the dream of winning all four majors in the same year vanish forever. The Serbian champions, who equated Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in 20 grand slams, will try to overtake them in 2022.
The 34-year-old Belgrade has meanwhile announced that he will not compete in the upcoming Masters 1000 in Indian Wells. Novak could decide to extend his rest period and head straight back to the 2022 Australian Open, but an issue has arisen in the past few days.
The state of Victoria will not give Djokovic any preferential treatment
The state of Victoria, which Melbourne is a part of, has announced that all professional athletes must be fully vaccinated by the end of November in order to enter the country.
Many believe that such a move could cause a huge headache for the nine-time tournament winner, who had expressed some doubts about vaccination requirements. Victoria State Prime Minister Daniel Andrews made it clear in a recent press conference that Novak Djokovic will not receive preferential treatment.
“His 20 Grand Slam titles do not exempt him from this rule. Nole – like everyone else – is asked to prove that he has been vaccinated against COVID-19. The chances of allowing unvaccinated people to enter the country are very, very slim “judged Andrews.
Craig O’Shannessy, a renowned analyst who was part of Djokovic’s team between 2017 and 2019, also spoke on the topic. He said: “Novak Djokovic is free to choose whether or not to be vaccinated, it is a personal choice. At the same time, his participation in the Australian Open could depend on that decision.”
–
