"For the moment, as far as I know, he is not vaccinated" - Monte Carlo tournament director on Novak Djokovic
Zeljko Franulovic, the tournament director for the Monte Carlo Masters, has claimed that Novak Djokovic is still unvaccinated despite the growing concern over his participation in several tournaments.
Djokovic was, of course, controversially deported from Australia partly due to his unvaccinated status, even though he had secured a medical exemption from the Victorian government. The 20-time Major champion is also a doubt for Masters 1000 events in Monte Carlo and Indian Wells due to his unfavorable vaccination status.
France recently passed a mandate which states that all professional athletes must be vaccinated to compete in the nation. As such, Djokovic's participation at the Monte Carlo Masters as well as at Roland Garros looks bleak unless the French government changes its rules in the coming months.
Franulovic echoed the same in a recent conversation with Eurosport.
“If he meets the health requirements (being vaccinated) of the French government, we will be happy to host him," said Franulovic
Franulovic claimed that the Serb is yet to be jabbed, despite rumors rife on social media that the World No. 1 could change his mind after watching Rafael Nadal lift a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam.
“He has to be in order. For the moment, as far as I know, he is not vaccinated," Franulovic added. "As soon as he is in good health with respect to government regulations, we will welcome him with open arms."
The World No. 1 is also a doubt for the Indian Wells Masters, the season's first Masters 1000 event, even though his name still appears on the entry list. The United States of America requires non-citizens to be fully vaccinated in order to enter the country.
“We want to see Novak Djokovic happy and healthy, and we want to see him play" - Andrea Gaudenzi
Novak Djokovic is slated to return to action at the Dubai Duty-Free Championships later this month. The Middle Eastern nation does not require players to be vaccinated.
Speaking on Eurosport, ATP chief Andrea Gaudenzi expressed his delight at the Serb returning to the tour. Interestingly, Gaudenzi is also hopeful to see Djokovic in action at the Monte Carlo Masters, which will begin on 9 April.
“Novak has already planned to play in Dubai, so of course this is good news," Gaudenzi said. “We want to see Novak happy and healthy, and we want to see him play. We want the best players for the best tournaments and Monte Carlo is one of them. It's one of the most important events on the calendar."
It remains to be seen whether the Serb will change his mind regarding vaccines and get the jab in order to be able to compete at the major tournaments.