‘It’s absolute rubbish’ declares Australian legend on Novak Djokovic ‘loophole’ rumours
Speculation has run wild about Novak Djokovic and a possible medical exemption, rumours this great says are ridiculous.
After the nine-time champion appeared on the entry list for the first Slam of 2022, many began to theorise that perhaps the world number one could enter the event through some sort of ‘loophole’ without being fully vaccinated.
However, 16-time Slam doubles champion Todd Woodbridge asserts that such ideas are completely wrong and that Djokovic will be subject to the same rules as every other competitor.
“Well the fact is he’s on the Australian Open entry list,” Woodbridge said on 9 News. “And of course he’s also in the ATP Cup in Sydney in the first tournament of the New Year.
“If he passes [the criteria] then he will be able to play. There’s so much speculation at this point that he needs to answer those questions first.
“If he does pass those, I think it’s fantastic that we’re going to have the world number one back in Australia.
“But, he has to do what every other traveller does when they come into Australia,” Woodbridge added.
“It’s not about entitled tennis players or tennis players in general. It’s about what every other person has to do, and that’s what he has to do.”
Djokovic has appeared in nine Australian Open finals and won all of them.
It is his most successful Slam, winning nine of the last 14 events, and appearing in Melbourne every year since his debut in 2005.
As such, speculation has very much centred around the idea that Tennis Australia will try whatever it takes to get the 20-time Major winner into the event.
That aspect in particular is what Woodbridge finds most absurd about the whole situation.
“There have been some people saying that Tennis Australia are looking for loopholes to get him in. That’s absolute rubbish!
“That cannot happen because it’s the government that makes those rules. And they’ll stipulate whether he can get in or not.”
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