"I assume he’s playing and has been vaccinated" - Andy Murray on Novak Djokovic's participation at 2022 Australian Open
Former World No. 1 Andy Murray hopes Novak Djokovic will play at the 2022 Australian Open. Djokovic's name features on the participants' list of the upcoming Major. Murray is thus "assuming" that the Serbian legend is fully vaccinated and will have no obstacles in playing at the Grand Slam in January next year.
The Victorian government's policy requires every player to get themselves fully vaccinated before playing at the 2022 Australian Open. With Djokovic's vaccination status still unclear, there are doubts about him being able to defend his title in Melbourne in 2022.
World number one Novak Djokovic has officially entered the Australian Open, but questions still remain over his vaccination status. #9Today https://t.co/jec3XDmMd7
In a recent interview with the Press and Journal, Murray stated that he is unaware of the current situation with Djokovic.
“I don’t know what the situation is with Novak. The latest I saw was that he was on the entry list, and I assume he’s playing and has been vaccinated. We were told they were the rules – if you want to play, you have to be vaccinated – so I’m assuming that’s what’s happened," said Murray in the interview.
Murray highlighted that the presence of big stars like Djokovic makes any tournament more intriguing. He also hailed the Serb for his incredible record at the Australian Open and emphasized that he'll give his all to lift his 21st Grand Slam title.
“Ultimately, you want all of the best players to be playing in the biggest events. It’s what makes the events more interesting and he’s also going to try to win and break the record, winning a 21st Slam. His record there is phenomenal, so hopefully he’ll be there," added the 3-time Grand Slam champion.
Andy Murray shares details about working with his new coach Jan de Witt
Andy Murray recently parted ways with his long-time coach, Jamie Delgado and appointed Jan de Witt as his new head coach. In the same interview, he also opened up about his new experience and his preparations ahead of the 2021 Mubadala Tennis Championships in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
“It’s been good. I obviously didn’t play in the Davis Cup, so I’ve had an extra couple of weeks and got started a bit earlier than a lot of the players that played in that. I’m off to Abu Dhabi on Sunday for a week to play in the event there, but also to go a few days earlier and get some outdoor training," mentioned the former World No. 1.
Andy Murray splits with coach Jamie Delgado as he prepares for 2022 season.
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Andy Murray hasn't won an ATP title in more than two years now. Currently ranked 134 in the world, he didn't have a remarkable season this year. He did not make it to the semifinals of any of the 16 tournaments in which he participated. With the change in his coaching team, he hopes to improve his ranking and performance in the upcoming season.
“I’ve obviously just been practicing indoors here, but it’s been good so far, I’ve got some good work done and I feel relatively fresh," concluded Murray.
Andy Murray, who has won the Mubadala Tennis Championships twice, will take on Dominic Thiem in the quarterfinals of the 2021 edition.