Djokovic given medical exemption to play at Australian Open
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- 05 Jan 2022
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Novak Djokovic has ended speculation over his Australian Open title defence by announcing that he will compete at the season’s opening Grand Slam event after receiving a medical exemption from getting vaccinated against COVID-19.
The world number one, who had declined to reveal his vaccination status, said previously that he was unsure whether he would compete at the January 17-30 tournament in Melbourne due to concerns over Australia’s quarantine rules.
“I’ve spent fantastic quality time with my loved ones over the break and today I’m heading Down Under with an exemption permission. Let’s go 2022,” Djokovic wrote on Instagram on Tuesday.
Australian Open organisers issued a statement later on Tuesday to confirm Djokovic will be allowed to compete at the tournament.
Tennis Australia (TA) stipulated that all participants at the Grand Slam must be vaccinated against the coronavirus or have a medical exemption granted by an independent panel of experts.
The panel would consist of doctors from the fields of immunology, infectious disease and general practice and that the move was agreed in conjunction with the Victoria Department of Health.
TA said the 34-year-old Djokovic had applied for a medical exemption which was granted after a “rigorous review process” involving two separate independent panels of medical experts.
“One of those was the Independent Medical Exemption Review Panel appointed by the Victorian Department of Health,” TA said in a statement.
“They assessed all applications to see if they met the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) guidelines.”
It added the process included the redaction of personal information to ensure privacy for all applicants. That means Djokovic was not obliged to make his exemption public.
A Victorian state government official confirmed the exemption, telling the Herald Sun newspaper that any player granted one would have gone through a two-stage process to verify they have a medical condition that meets the criteria for an exemption. Read More…
