After not being able to defend his Australian Open title earlier this year due to his vaccination status, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic will be able to play at Wimbledon where he is the defending champion as well.
The All England Club CEO Sally Bolton said players will not need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to participate at Wimbledon.
“The requirements set up do not include mandatory vaccination,” she told ESPN. “It will not be a condition of entry for the championships this year.”
Tournament organizers encourage all players to be vaccinated against COVID-19, but unvaccinated players, like Djokovic, can compete and won’t have to quarantine for a set number of days upon arrival in the United Kingdom.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion, including six Wimbledon crowns, was deported from Australia in January before the start of the Australian Open in Melbourne due to his unvaccinated status. He was also not allowed to travel to the United States for important tournaments in Indian Wells, California and Miami, and will likely miss the year’s final Grand Slam event, the U.S. Open which begins in August in New York.
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