Victoria sports minister Martin Pakula urges tennis players to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to give themselves the best chance of playing the Grand Slam in Melbourne; “If I was an ATP or WTA player, I’d be getting vaccinated”

Players have been urged to get vaccinated for COVID-19 even though Novak Djokovic is opposed to vaccine mandates

Tennis players planning to compete in the Australian Open should get vaccinated against COVID-19 to give themselves the best chance of playing the Grand Slam, an Australian government official has said.

Victoria state, of which Melbourne is the capital, has introduced a vaccine mandate for all professional athletes but authorities have yet to clarify whether athletes from overseas or other Australian states must also vaccinate.

Victoria sports minister Martin Pakula urged players to leave no room for doubt and get vaccinated against COVID-19 to give themselves the best chance of playing the Grand Slam.

“As for the rules that might apply around the Australian Open, specifically, we’re in discussions with Tennis Australia and the department of health about that.”

Victoria sports minister Martin Pakula

“If I was an ATP or WTA player, I’d be getting vaccinated,” Pakula told local radio station SEN.

“That will give them the best opportunity to play in the Australian Open with the more minimal restrictions that might be in place for those people.”

Australia’s borders remain effectively shut to non-residents, and Pakula said he did not know whether unvaccinated people would be allowed to enter the country by the time of the Australian Open, which starts January 17.

“That’s going to be the subject, I suspect, of discussion at national cabinet and amongst the federal cabinet,” he said.

“As for the rules that might apply around the Australian Open, specifically, we’re in discussions with Tennis Australia and the department of health about that.”

Djokovic is a nine-time Australian Open champion

Both the women’s WTA and men’s ATP tours have urged players to get vaccinated but some have expressed reservations, including Australian Open men’s champion Novak Djokovic, who is opposed to vaccine mandates.

Tennis Australia, which organises the Grand Slam, has not disclosed any arrangements for players for the upcoming tournament in January.

But fully vaccinated players are expected to enjoy more freedoms to move around and may be able to avoid the country’s mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arrival.

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