Novak Djokovic is free to defend his Wimbledon title after the All England Club confirmed Covid vaccinations are not required to attend this year’s Championships.
After two disrupted years of the London Grand Slam, no coronavirus restrictions are planned this time.
The 20-time Slam winner Djokovic, who has made it clear he is not vaccinated against the virus, was banned from attending the Australian Open back in January and booted out of the country by the government.
Djokovic, 34, will also be able to compete at the French Open after organizers in Paris lifted all Covid restrictions.
The Serb has won the Wimbledon men’s singles title six times, including last year when he defeated Italy’s Matteo Berretini in straight sets.
The 2020 Wimbledon Championship was canceled amid the pandemic, while the 2021 edition was held in front of restricted viewerships until the semi-finals.
This year’s tournament will take place between June 27th and July 10th.
Novak Djokovic will be able to defend his Wimbledon title after the All England Club announced there will be no Covid restrictions at this year’s Championships
The unvaccinated Djokovic was booted out of Australia ahead of the Australian Open earlier this year amid tight coronavirus restrictions
The relaxation of rules also allows participating players to move around London more freely during the tournament.
Players and a support team of three all stayed at the same hotel last year and were only allowed to go to the SW19 site for games and training.
Regular Covid testing was taking place within the ‘bubble’ and they had to travel to and from the hotel using official transport.
Britain’s senior player Johanna Konta has been forced to withdraw and quarantine after a member of her team tested positive for Covid.
Djokovic, who tested positive for Covid in mid-December, initially received an exemption from the mandatory vaccination rule to participate in the Australian Open in Melbourne.
But he was arrested by the Australian Border Force while attempting to enter Australia on January 5. His visa was canceled and he was taken to an immigration detention hotel to await a court hearing.
Five days later, Djokovic was released after the Federal Circuit and Family Court ruled against the Border Force ban.
However, Australia’s Immigration Minister Alex Hawke exercised special powers to have Djokovic’s visa canceled a second time, despite having started on-pitch preparations for his first game and being included in the draw.
Djokovic’s judicial review of the deportation decision was denied and he was forced to leave the country.
The easing of Covid rules means capacity crowds will return to Wimbledon this summer
But in an interview with the BBC, Djokovic said he was willing to give up the chance of winning future Slams in order to stick to his principles.
However, the easing of the pandemic means Djokovic can add to his 20 Slam titles at the French Open and then Wimbledon this summer.
Meanwhile, Wimbledon remained “not a viable alternative” to banning Russian and Belarusian players from this year’s championship, chairman Ian Hewitt said at the All England Club’s spring briefing.
Echoing last week’s announcement that Wimbledon and the preceding grass court events would be the first individual tennis tournaments to exclude players from the two countries, Hewitt stressed the role of the UK government.
He said: “The UK Government has set guidelines for sporting bodies and events in the UK with the specific aim of limiting Russia’s influence.
“We have examined the available options extensively. These are actually two options: to refuse participation or to allow participation, but only with specific statements (against the invasion of Ukraine) from individual players.
Wimbledon was at half capacity for much of last year’s Championship amid Covid
“We considered a variety of factors. After much and careful consideration, we came to two firm conclusions.
“First, even if we accepted contributions (from Russian and Belarusian players) with written explanations, we would risk their success or participation being used for the benefit of the Russian regime’s propaganda machine, which we could not accept.
“Secondly, we have a duty to ensure that no actions should endanger players or their families. We understand and deeply regret the impact this will have on all those affected.
“We believe we made the most responsible decision possible. We believe (taking into account government guidance) that there is no viable alternative in this truly extraordinary and tragic situation.’