Hear The Latest Buzz Around The 2022 Australian Open

This is an article “Hear The Latest Buzz Around The 2022 Australian Open” by Marc Pulisci

All eyes are on Novak Djokovic this coming season as he makes another attempt at cementing his place in tennis history, with rival Rafael Nadal eager to make a comeback at the Australian Open. However, vaccine hesitation is a huge issue in any major sport today. Many are held in suspense on whether the current number one will be making an announcement regarding his vaccination status.

Among today's top players, Dominic Thiem, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray have taken the pro-vaccination stance and are sending loud signals about participating in the 2022 Australian Open. However, Djokovic remains under pressure about revealing his current vaccine status as tournament officials consider strict enforcement of its rules on non-vaccinated players.

No rules on vaccination set yet

At present, no rules are carved in stone yet for the tournament despite a circulating email last month leaked by the New York Times and Melbourne's The Age regarding visa leniency on unvaccinated players. According to the email, players who haven't received their COVID-19 vaccines may be permitted, provided they stay in quarantine for a specified period before the start of the tournament.

Along with Djokovic, another strong player in Daniil Medvedev has declined to make an announcement regarding his vaccine status. With the Australian Open slated on January 13, the entire tennis community is at odds about the appropriate rules in a season that has significant records at stake. There's no doubt that 2022 will be the season that will break the triple tie for 20-Grand Slam titles among Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer. And many are anticipating that it will happen at the Australian Open.

For Djokovic's part, he said he is willing to announce his decision once policies are in place. The world number one currently holds a record nine titles at the Australian Open.

Victoria State sports minister Martin Pakula is determined to keep arrangements for the prized tournament on the level of pre-pandemic conditions as much as possible. He continues to publicly urge players to get vaccinated and raise their chances of playing in the tournament. Likewise, Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews also remains adamant about observing vaccine protocols by announcing that he will be expecting players to be 'double-vaxxed' for the tournament.

Last year, all players were subjected to a quarantine period but were allowed to attend practice games before the tournament started. Still, last year was a far cry from 2021 ever since COVID-19 vaccines became available.

At present, there is still a number of either unvaccinated players or those who haven't confirmed their status from both the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) and Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) rosters. The report came even after Tennis Australia (TA) head Craig Tiley had allegedly informed Pakula that vaccination among tennis players is at 80%.

In the meantime, organizers advise players to keep their vaccination status confidential as discussions with government agencies are still underway. TA has not released any official announcements on the matter, but is highly considering a 14-day quarantine option for unvaccinated players.

Potential comebacks for Nadal and Federer

Rafael Nadal continues to work hard after recovering from a stubborn left foot injury. The champion plans to play the World Tennis Championships in Abu Dhabi this month to warm up for the Australian Open.

While not yet fully recovered, Nadal is confident that he'll be 100% by January and, of course, fully vaccinated. The Spaniard's Mallorca training was primarily fruitful, making it easier to assume a full recovery when the Australian Open begins.

Other noted ATP players joining Nadal in Abu Dhabi are world number eight Casper Ruud, number 12 Thiem, and number 13 Denis Shapovalov.

In the Federer camp, the champion is also pushing for a big comeback which, fingers-crossed, could come sometime in June. King Roger had earlier told the press that he is 'in a really good place' and spent the past few months getting back his top form on court.

After a strong performance at Wimbledon, Federer underwent his third knee surgery, which sent him into the quarterfinals, only to be defeated by Hubert Hurkacz 6-3, 7-6, 6-0. With his injuries plaguing him, fans and sports pundits were quick to speculate whether the 40-year old still has the heart to win another Grand Slam. For the record, Federer has won the Australian Open six times in his illustrious career but has announced that he won't be playing for the first major tournament of the year.

Whether or not he feels he can remain competitive is up in the air. Still, fans are expecting a comeback this season despite the champion having had to walk on crutches back in September. It may be too soon to tell, but miracles do happen in sports, and a champion of Federer’s caliber has bounced back from countless challenges many times throughout his legendary career.

Australian Open Odds

Last year, Djokovic defeated Medvedev in straight sets during the men's finals 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 to claim his 9th Australian Open title and 18th major championship. On the women's side of the court, Japan's Naomi Osaka won her 3rd Grand Slam title and 2nd Australian Open against Jennifer Brady 6-4, 6-3. Whether or not the current vaccination issue will play a pivotal role in how the upcoming tournament pans out is anybody's guess.

Osaka is all set to return after a drama-filled season last year, which saw her dropping out of last year's French Open in May, Wimbledon in June, and the US Open in August, while failing to secure a medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

Meanwhile, chances are big for recent Australian Open finalists, including Djokovic, Medvedev, Thiem, Nadal, Stan Wawrinka, and Andy Murray, if one were to base it on the odds of the past decade. And don’t rule out Stefanos Tsitsipas who reached the semifinals in 2019; Alexander Zverev, who reached the semifinals in 2020; and Andrey Rublev, who reached the 4th round in 2020.

Once vaccination policies are set in place and each player's decision to participate in the upcoming major tournament is made, these are the names that will undoubtedly stand out. Of course, everyone will be setting their eyes on who reaches the magic number 21 first among Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer - assuming they all join the Australian Open next year.