PARIS – France will step up its vaccination measures, which could force Novak Djokovic to miss the Roland Garros tournament.
As of February 15, anyone who has not been vaccinated against COVID-19 will have to provide evidence that they have been positive for the virus in the last four months – as opposed to six months under current measures – for access to sports facilities in France.
French law is at the heart of a push by the Macron government to eradicate the virus and ban unvaccinated people from stadiums, restaurants, bars and other public places.
Djokovic, who has not been vaccinated, said he tested positive for the virus in mid-December. Under current law and the semester from which Djokovic benefits, he would take part in the French Open, which starts on May 22nd. However, if the new measure still applies at the time of the tournament, he will be disqualified from the tournament unless he re-sticks COVID-19 within four months of the tournament or is vaccinated.
The first racket in the world is the defender of the champion in Roland-Garos. He was deported from Australia earlier this month and was barred from entering the Australian Open after failing to meet the country’s strict vaccination requirements.
Roland Garros organizers said it was too early to comment on the health measures, as they could change from now until May.
To enter Australia, Djokovic took a positive test for COVID-19, which was issued in Serbia on December 16th, for visa exemption on the grounds that he had contracted COVID-19 before the tournament. Djokovic’s request was accepted by an automatic machine, but he was denied entry by border agents, leading to an 11-day epic.
The Australian government then decided to cancel his visa and deport him, saying his presence in Australia could spark anti-vaccination sentiment.
