Novak Djokovic speaks about Australian Open participation; Serbian teammate gives update

Novak Djokovic's decision to withdraw from the upcoming ATP Cup tournament in the final hour has once again raised a lot of questions over his participation at the Australian Open 2022. While there is no clarity on Novak Djokovic vaccine status, his Serbian teammates are left to scratch their heads as to why Novak Djokovic withdrew from the ATP Cup and will he be available for the Australia Open tennis tournament.

ATP Cup: Novak Djokovic withdrawal leaves a question over his participation in the Australian Open

The players participating in the Australian Open must be fully vaccinated or need to have a medical exemption. Novak Djokovic Serbia teammate Dusan Lajovic, who will be spearheading Serbia's challenge in Novak Djokovic’s absence, initially made light of the situation, joking that he found out only minutes earlier and was in “shock”. He said, "We knew, I think, a day-and-a-half ago or something like that. I think we’re all waiting for that last-minute decision and it’s never the same when you have the No.1 in your team and you don’t have it – it’s a big difference."

When been asked about Novak Djokovic's withdrawal at the last moment Lajovic said, he was as much in the dark as everyone else and he hadn’t discussed that with him. He said,  “I don’t know the official reason but maybe the ATP knows. (Djokovic) just said that he’s not coming to the ATP Cup and he’s trying to get to the Australian Open. He said, ‘I’m not coming guys to the ATP Cup; we’ll see about the Australian Open’. I mean, he didn’t specify if he’s coming or not but that he’s waiting for a decision.”

Will Novak Djokovic play Australian Open?

Speaking of Novak Djokovic's participation at the Australian Open, Australian Open CEO Craig Tiley said, "If Novak shows up at the Australian Open, he’ll either be vaccinated, or he’ll have medical exemption. It’s his choice on his medical condition. It’s his choice to keep personal and private like all of us would do with any condition we may or may not have. We are not going to force him or ask him to disclose that."