‘Grand Slam titles won’t protect you,’ Novak Djokovic told in huge potential blow
Novak Djokovic has been dealt a potential blow after government officials said ‘Grand Slam titles won’t protect’ players at the Australian Open.
Djokovic is incredibly dominant at the Australian Open, and will be the big favourite to win again in 2022. If he does win it, it will give him the record for most major titles in the history of the men’s game
However, Djokovic has also raised concerns about taking the COVID vaccine before, and that could cause a serious problem for the Serbian.
Players have been told that vaccination will be mandatory for anyone foreign visitors to the tournament – including them – and no exceptions will be made.
“[Grand slam] titles won’t protect you,” Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said when asked by reporters.
“The only title that will protect you is you being able to have had your first dose and second dose.
“Logic, and numerous conversations with the Prime Minister, tells me that if you are an Australian citizen, you will be allowed home if you haven’t had the jab.
“But if you’re coming on a tourist visa or a business visa, so you’re not an Aussie, like, you are coming to visit, the notion of you getting in here without being vaccinated, I thinks very, very low.”
Respected newspaper The Age have made further claims that Australian Open chief Craig Tiley has raised big concerns about what that would mean for the tournament, but they have been dismissed out of hand.
Quoting a ‘source with direct knowledge of the negotiations,’ The Age reported: “Tiley said we won’t get star players and the state government effectively said ‘suck it up’.”
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