Will Novak Djokovic play Australian Open 2023? The 21-time Grand Slam champion responds

Novak Djokovic was barred from competing in the Australian Open 2022 because he was non-vaccinated. Meanwhile, he has responded to his chances of playing next year.

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21-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia conquered his recent Slam title by winning the Wimbledon 2022 Championships in London on Sunday. He defeated unseeded Nick Kyrgios of Australia to finish the job in four sets in just a minute over an hour. It happens to be Djokovic's first Slam title of the year, while it was the second Slam he participated in this year after the French Open, where he was ousted in the semis. He was barred from competing in the Australian Open earlier this year because he was unvaccinated. After a legal trial, he was deported and banned from competing in the tournament for three years.

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Djokovic remains unvaccinated to date and has no intentions of getting it done anytime soon. Thus, it remains to be seen if he will be allowed to compete in the Australian Open next year, while he remains hopeful of the same. The same stands for the upcoming US Open, where the current laws will prevent him from entering the country if non-vaccinated.

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When asked about the same, Djokovic told RTS, "As things stand now, I cannot travel to Australia and the United States, but I hope to get positive news. I believe things will change for the Australian Open. There is not much time for the US Open, but hope dies last. I want to play at the US Open and Australian Open, but even if I do not, it's not the end of the world."

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On a positive note, Australia decided to scrap the rule that required international travellers to declare their vaccination status before entering the country. On the other hand, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison clarified in January after Djokovic's deportation that his ban could be reversed "in the right circumstances".