The head of the Australian Open believes Rafael Nadal will still be able to participate in the tournament despite testing positive for COVID-19 on Monday.
Craig Tiley says he is confident that the 20-time Grand Slam champion will be fully recovered from the virus and be able to travel to Australia in time for the Grand Slam. On Monday Nadal said in a statement that he was experiencing ‘unpleasant moments’ after testing positive for COVID-19 after playing at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi. A total of four players has caught the virus since travelling to the exhibition event. Besides Nadal, One Jabeur, Belinda Bencic and Emma Raducanu have also tested positive, as well as Nadal’s coach Carlos Moya.
“I’m confident Rafa will be here,” tournament organiser Tiley told reporters on Wednesday.
“Players that are testing positive now will complete a period of time until they are no longer infectious and they will be fine. If you are going to test positive and you want to play the Australian Open, your timing would be now.”
Nadal has said he will be ‘analysing his options’ about the upcoming season in the coming days. It is the latest setback for the Spaniard who is on the comeback from a foot injury. He hasn’t played a match on the ATP Tour since the Washington Open in August.
Another player currently in doubt for the Melbourne major is Novak Djokovic who hasn’t publicly confirmed if he is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 because he wants to keep his medical records private. At the upcoming Australian Open all players are required to be doubled jabbed unless they have a medical exemption.
Tiley says he is hopeful that the nine-time champion will be attending his event but admits he doesn’t know his vaccination status. Djokovic has also entered to play in the ATP Cup which takes place during the first week of January. This would mean he would need to fly to Australia next week if he is playing but his team are keeping quiet about their plans.
“If Novak shows up at the Australian Open, he’ll either be vaccinated or he’ll have a medical exemption,” Tiley commented.
“Medically, he doesn’t talk to anyone about it. I’m not going to ask Novak that, it’s none of my business.
“I will know that (he fulfils) one of those conditions.”
However, Djokovic’s father implied earlier this week that the tennis star is still not vaccinated. Speaking to K1 Televizija in Serbia Srdjan Djokovic said it is up to the organisers ‘to decide whether they will let Novak in.’
“If they decide (to not let Novak play), they have to stand behind their decision. He has won the Australian Open nine times, he now wants to play – but they have to permit him to play,” said Srdjan.
“Novak will do what he thinks is the best for him; nobody will impose an opinion on him.
“What to do if he ends up not going (to the Australian Open)? We will wait for Roland Garros and his (21st) grand slam title.”
According to Tiley, the majority of players participating in the Australian Open are fully vaccinated with ‘a very small percentage’ having a medical exemption. The strict rules have been brought into effect due to a health mandate implemented by the Victorian government.
As for those attending the major, bosses remain confident that the event will still take place with full capacity crowds despite the threat from the Omicron variant. Players are staying in the same accommodation and those who test positive for COVID-19 will have to isolate for a set period of time.
“We have modelled the potential of positive cases. There will be positive cases and it’s just how we manage them,” Tiley outlined.
The Australian Open will start on January 17th. Djokovic and Naomi Osaka are the reigning champions.
