Sydney (AP) – Olympic champion Alexander Zverev kept a low profile in the entry thriller about world number one Novak Djokovic.
“At the end of the day it would have helped if he had been vaccinated,” said Zverev in Sydney after his match at the ATP Cup against the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime. “But he got an exemption, so there must be a reason for it. There are five other professionals who have received an exemption, but we don’t know their names.”
The very likely unvaccinated Djokovic had traveled to Australia with a highly controversial medical exemption and landed in Melbourne late Wednesday evening (local time). The Australian border protection authorities had denied him entry because he had not presented any suitable evidence to meet the entry requirements. Djokovic has sued, a court in Melbourne wants to make a decision on Monday. The Australian Open begins a week later.
“It’s a Grand Slam tournament that he has won nine times. It would be nice for tennis if he were there,” said Zverev. “But rules are rules. I will never say a bad word about Novak in my life, but I don’t know enough details to be able to protect him.”
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