Friday, Jan 28, 2022. 8:06 PM
PARIS – France will tighten its vaccination measures, which could force Novak Djokovic to miss the Roland-Garros tournament.
From February 15, anyone who has not been vaccinated against COVID-19 will have to provide proof that they have tested positive for the virus in the last four months – unlike six months under current measures – to access sports establishments in France.
French law is at the center of a Macron government push to eradicate the virus and ban unvaccinated people from stadiums, restaurants, bars and other public places.
Djokovic, who is not vaccinated, said he tested positive for the virus in mid-December. According to current laws and the six-month period from which Djokovic benefits, he would take part in the French Open, which begins on May 22. However, if the new measure is still applied at the time of the tournament, he will be excluded from the tournament unless he catches COVID-19 again within four months of the tournament or he gets vaccinated.
The first racket in the world is the defending champion at Roland-Garros. Earlier this month he was deported from Australia and denied Australian Open entry after failing to meet the country’s strict vaccination requirements.
Roland-Garros organizers said it is too early to comment on the health measures as they could change between now and May.
To enter Australia, Djokovic submitted a positive COVID test, issued in Serbia on December 16, for a visa waiver on the grounds that he had contracted COVID-19 before the tournament. Djokovic’s application was accepted by an automatic machine, but he was refused entry to the country by border agents, leading to an 11-day saga.
The Australian government later decided to cancel his visa and deport him, saying his presence in Australia could stoke anti-vaccination sentiments.
