Following the expulsion from Australia of world number one tennis player Novak Djokovic, the French government clarified that the vaccination pass would not only apply to amateur and professional athletes based in France but also to foreign athletes who come for competitions.
This position clarifies remarks made last week by Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu, who hinted that the health bubble in force during the Roland-Garros tournament would allow unvaccinated athletes from abroad to be received. Like Djokovic.
An athlete “who will not be vaccinated (…) will be able to participate in the competition because the protocol, the health bubble of these major sporting events, will allow it”, explained the minister on France Info January 7.
Currently, it is not necessary to be vaccinated to enter French soil, but the vaccination pass will apply to everyone who enters an establishment open to the public (“ERP”).
The question not quite settled
The next international competitions are a judo tournament, the Grand Slam (February 5-6), as well as the Six Nations tournament (February 5-March 19).
This obligation to be vaccinated may mean that there will no longer be a health bubble stricto sensu around an international competition, but this is not yet completely settled.
Sunday evening, the president of the French Tennis Federation (FFT), Gilles Moretton, had specified that they “are working in collaboration with the public authorities, who will specify the rules relating to the reception of non-vaccinated foreign athletes for our tournament in due time”. Roland-Garros will take place from May 22 to June 5.
