The ATP has finally released a statement on the situation involving Novak Djokovic and his detainment in Australia, as the Serbian was forced to stay at a hotel in Melbourne due to a visa mix-up when entering the country.
Although the issue seems to have been resolved in the Serbian's favor, the ATP chose not to make any comments during the entire procedure. This led to Canadian tennis player Vasek Pospisil, a good friend of Djokovic's, criticizing the governing body over their decision to remain silent on the matter.
The ATP have now released a statement in which they stated they were pleased with the outcome, and recommended all tennis players get vaccinated.
“Complications in recent days related to player entry into Australia have however highlighted the need for clearer understanding, communication and application of the rules," read the statement. “In travelling to Melbourne, it’s clear Novak Djokovic believed he had been granted a necessary medical exemption in order to comply with entry regulations.
“The series of events leading to Monday’s court hearing have been damaging on all fronts, including for Novak’s well-being and preparation for the Australian Open.
“Player medical exemption requests are made independently of ATP, however we have been in constant contact with Tennis Australia to seek clarity throughout this process,” the ATP revealed.
“We welcome the outcome of Monday’s hearing and look forward to an exciting few weeks of tennis ahead. More broadly, ATP continues to strongly recommend vaccination for all players on the ATP Tour, which we believe is essential for our sport to navigate the pandemic.
“This is based on scientific evidence supporting the health benefits provided and to comply with global travel regulations, which we anticipate will become stricter over time. We are encouraged that 97 per cent of the Top 100 players are vaccinated leading into this year’s Australian Open.”
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As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
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