Majority of players at the Australian Open will be vaccinated, says tournament director

A majority of the players competing at next year’s Australian Open will be vaccinated, as per tournament director Craig Tiley. 

Victoria state has imposed a vaccination mandate for the opening Grand Slam of 2022, which Tiley believes will be adhered to by a majority of players. 

“Today more than 85% are (vaccinated). And we take a lot of credit for that because we put a vaccination requirement on it. We think by the time we get to January it will be between 90–95% vaccinated because if you’re not, you cannot play,” Tiley said. 

He believes that Novak Djokovic, who has so far been coy about his vaccination status, will want to win the title again and could take part in the tournament. Djokovic, Tiley thinks, will not want either Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer to win the tournament and go ahead of him in the all-time men’s Grand Slam title standings. 

“Novak has won nine Australian Opens, I’m sure he wants to get to 10. He’s on 20 Grand Slam titles as is Rafa Nadal, who is coming, and Roger Federer. One of them is going to surpass the other and I don’t think Novak would want to leave that… to someone else,” said the Australian Open tournament director. 

Tiley revealed that Djokovic has yet to reveal his vaccination status to anyone. He thinks that the Aussie crowd will not turn on the Serb and that he will be fairly treated at the Australian Open. 

Prior to the Victoria state announcing a vaccine mandate for the tournament, Djokovic was coy about his participation at the Australian Open. He stated that he will make a decision after looking at the official statement from Tennis Australia. 

Vaccinated players will not have to quarantine or be in bio bubbles at the 2022 Australian Open. The lead-up events to the opening Grand Slam of the 2022 tennis season will be held in Adelaide and Sydney. 

The Australian Open will be held between January 17 and 30, 2022, and will be held at Melbourne Park in Melbourne. 

The men’s singles event at this year’s Australian Open was won by Djokovic, who won the tournament for the ninth time and made it three singles titles in a row in Australia. Naomi Osaka won her second women’s singles title at the 2021 Australian Open, defeating Jennifer Brady in the final. 

Heading into the tournament, Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer are tied on 20 Grand Slam wins after the Serb won three Grand Slams in 2021.