It’s not clear where Novak Djokovic will play next after being deported out of the Australian Open. He is the defending champion at the next scheduled major, the French Open in May and June.
A member of the French Parliament said a new law that will exclude unvaccinated people from sports venues, restaurants and other public places will apply to anyone who wants to play in the French Open.
The comments Monday from Christophe Castaner, a former member of President Emmanuel Macron’s government, and a tweet from the sports minister late Sunday marked a reversal from prior plans to create a “bubble” around the French Open, scheduled for late May into June.
AUSTRALIAN OPEN DRAWS: Men | Women
“Mr. Djokovic has no business playing if he doesn’t respect a rule that applies to spectators, ball collectors, to the professional who will work in boutiques at Roland-Garros,” Castaner told BFM television.
Sports minister Roxana Maracineanu said in a tweet the law will apply to French citizens and foreigners alike. But she said sports officials “will work together to preserve the competitions and make ourselves the ambassadors of these measures at the international level.”
Djokovic is also the defending champion at Wimbledon. England has allowed exemptions from various coronavirus regulations for visiting athletes, if they remain at their accommodation when not competing or training. The U.S. Tennis Association, which runs the U.S. Open, has said it will follow government rules on vaccination status.
Perhaps there is only one thing everyone can agree on. As three-time major winner Andy Murray put it: “The situation has not been good all round for anyone.”
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