Novak Djokovic questioned his participation in the 2022 Australian Open, a story that instantly went viral.
Nole has turned up his nose at the stringent limitations promised by the Australian government for unvaccinated players, and he does not appear to be eager to repeat the rigorous quarantine of 2021.
The Serbian sensation had a near-perfect season, in which he came close to completing the famed ‘Calendar Grand Slam.’
ATP No. 1 would have become only the second man in the Open Era, after Rod Laver, to win all four majors in the same year if he had won the US Open.
The 34-year-old Belgrade native was physically and mentally exhausted when he lost in the final to a terrific Daniil Medvedev.
Next week, the 20-time Grand Slam champion will compete in the Paris-Bercy Open, a warm-up tournament for the ATP Finals in Turin and the Davis Cup finals.
Boris Becker discussed the controversy between Djokovic and the Australian authorities on the Eurosport Germany tennis podcast.
Boris Becker talks about Novak Djokovic
“I can understand it [Novak Djokovic’s reluctance to disclose his vaccination status] at first,”
“That is his right, that is privacy, that has to be protected,” Becker said as per reports on Tennis Up To Date.
However, the six-time Major champion pointed out that if Djokovic wants to play at his most successful Slam. He’ll have no choice but to follow the rules.
“But if he wants to work as a tennis player, then unfortunately they are rules and for all tennis players who want to go to Australia: The State of Victoria requires proof of vaccination,” Becker added.
“It is completely unimportant what we mean,” continued Becker.
“If the Australian government has decided that way, there is only one solution.”
Novak Djokovic is competing in this category in preparation for the Davis Cup, which starts later this year.
As a result, he has chosen to pair up with a member of his Davis Cup team.
It’s been a long time since Novak has won the Davis Cup, dating back to 2010. When Victor Troicki was the captain. Novak has been dealt a difficult draw in the singles category.
If everything goes according to plan, he will face Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinals and might face Daniil Medvedev or Alexander Zverev in the final.
If he wins the tournament, he will surpass Rafael Nadal as the player with the most ATP Masters 1000 championships. They are currently linked to 36 titles.
Read More: Djokovic helped Medvedev build mental strength prior to defeat at the US Open