SYNEY (AFP) - World number one Novak Djokovic said Tuesday that he was heading to the Australian Open to defend his title after being granted a Covid-19 medical exemption to play.
All participants at the opening Grand Slam of the year, which starts on January 17, need to be vaccinated against Covid-19 or have the exemption, which is assessed by an independent panel of experts.
The Serb has repeatedly refused to confirm if he has been inoculated, with his participation at Melbourne Park the subject of intense speculation after he pulled out of the ongoing ATP Cup in Sydney.
His post was accompanied by a picture of the 34-year-old at an airport, looking relaxed, with his bags on a trolley.
Tournament director Craig Tiley last week confirmed a number of players had been granted exemptions, without naming Djokovic, while explaining the process involved.
“There are two medical panels that assess any application, and they assess it in a blind way. They don’t know who the applicant is,” he told reporters.
“Against the ATAGI [Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation] guidelines, an exemption gets granted or not. The reason for granting that exemption remains private, between the panel and the applicant.”
He said on Tuesday there had to have been a “genuine reason” to grant an exemption.