Will it be Djokovic vs Nadal in Rome again? Decks cleared for Serb to play Italian Open

World number one Novak Djokovic has been cleared to participate in the upcoming Italian Open, despite being unvaccinated against Covid-19. The news will be a welcome relief for the Serbian, who has been embroiled in controversy over his vaccination status that forced him to miss the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami Open. The 34-year-old, who Rafael Nadal defeated in last year's tournament, will now hope to capitalise on this opportunity and make hay when the sun shines at Roland Garros next month.

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Nadal, who has been out of action since Indian Wells, after picking up a stress fracture in his rib, is likely to make a comeback in the Madrid Open starting early next month. The Spanish ace will hope to strike form early on and be match fit to possibly face Novak Djokovic twice before he competes for a record 14th French Open crown.

After playing just one tournament in the first three months of the 2022 season, Djokovic finally gets the chance to play several ATP Masters 1000s events. The Serb, who recently crashed to a three-set defeat to unseeded Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the Monte Carlo Masters, will be hoping to ward away the challenges of the clay court in Rome before going to Paris with the hope of equalling Nadal's 21 Grand Slam record.

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Five-time champion Novak Djokovic can come to Rome and play at the Italian Open next month even if he is still not vaccinated against the coronavirus, the president of the Italian Tennis Federation said on Wednesday. "The rules regarding players' participation are established by the government and the ATP," Angelo Binaghi said at the presentation for the May 8-15 tournament.

Current entry rules for Italy require either proof of vaccination against COVID-19, proof of recovery from infection or a negative test. Djokovic says he has tested positive at least twice for COVID-19, with his most recent case coming in December.

Djokovic, who is currently playing at home in the Serbia Open, lost last year's Rome final to Rafael Nadal. The Serb then got revenge weeks later at the French Open, beating the 13-time champion in the semi-final before winning his second title at Roland Garros.

After two years of reduced capacity amid the pandemic, packed crowds will be allowed at the Foro Italico for the combined men's and women's events. And they could very well witness yet another Djokovic vs Nadal epic clash in Rome and even earlier in Madrid if the Spaniard makes a comeback from injury.