As Novak Djokovic flew home from Australia after being deported for not being vaccinated against COVID-19, doubts arose over whether the tennis star would be able to play in the French Open.
The current World No.1 could be barred from the French tournament this year, under a new law intended to exclude the unvaccinated from stadiums and other public places.
French lawmaker Christophe Castaner said on Monday the new law will apply anyone who wants to play in the French Open—a reversal of earlier plans to create a bubble around the tournament. The rules apply to everyone,” Castaner said.
“He has no vocation to play if he’s not vaccinated, if he’s not going to respect a rule that applies to spectators, the ball-boys or the professionals with shops at Roland Garros.”
Meanwhile, Australian Open organisers said on Tuesday they deeply regret the impact that the Novak Djokovic deportation saga had on other players and admitted there were lessons to learn. “As the Australian tennis family, we recognise that recent events have been a significant distraction for everyone and we deeply regret the impact this had on all players,” Tennis Australia said in a statement.
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