French Prime Minister Jean Castex on Thursday announced Covid-19 vaccine passports would no longer be needed to access venues from March 14, with the French Open due to start on May 22.
In a massive boost to Novak Djokovic's hunt for his 21st Grand Slam win, the French government relaxed its rules surrounding COVID-19 vaccine passports on Thursday. French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced vaccine passports would no longer be needed to access venues from March 14, with the French Open due to start on May 22.
This essentially means that the World No. 2 men's tennis star is free to defend his Roland Garros crown after he was banned from participating in the Australian Open 2022. He could now also compete in Monte Carlo Masters, set to start from April 9.
Djokovic, who recently lost his World No.1 ranking to Russia's Daniil Medvedev, has been caught in a prolonged saga surrounding his vaccination status since the Australian Open. This high-profile case ended with him being deported on the eve of the tournament.
Also read: Deportation, no more World No.1, split with coach; What next for Djokovic?
The Serbian's rival Rafael Nadal went on to win the tournament, securing an unprecedented 21st Grand Slam victory.
France had already re-calibrated their border control to allow for unvaccinated individuals into the country from today, which comes as good news for the 34-year-old.
Djokovic, who split with his long-time coach Marian Vajda on Wednesday, has been short of tournament action this season due to his vaccination status. The Serb has played only one event in Dubai, where he was eliminated by qualifier Jiri Vesely 6-4 7-6 (7-4) in a shocking upset.
Also read: Daniil Medvedev scripts history; dethrones Novak Djokovic to top ATP rankings
Djokovic will, however, miss the upcoming Masters 1000s in Indian Wells and Miami as all visitors to the United States require double vaccination.
Following this news, fans of the Serbian took to Twitter to express their joy at the possibility of seeing their favourite tennis star back in Grand Slam action. Here's a look at some of the reactions:
