Rafael Nadal reckons Novak Djokovic will be forced to take a vaccine for coronavirus if the ATP brought about such a rule for the players despite his earlier opposition to the same.
The coronavirus pandemic has forced the tennis season to be suspended till mid of July already and the possibility of the US Open and French Open being played is looking bleaker by the day.
Amidst all this, there have been calls to suspend the rest of the season at least till a vaccine is found with Nadal himself admitting he doesn’t think there would be too much tennis played this year.
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Earlier, Australian Open director Craig Tiley expressed his concerns about next year’s opening Grand Slam saying there’s still a scenario the tournament could be cancelled if things didn’t improve.
One of the biggest problems faced by tennis because of this pandemic is the travel restrictions across the globe, and by the looks of things, it’s going to take time for that to improve.
A vaccine could make the transition smoother but Djokovic had earlier said he wouldn’t want to be forced into having one. Djokovic had said:
“Personally I am opposed to vaccination and I wouldn’t want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine in order to be able to travel.”
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Later, Djokovic admitted he would keep an open mind about the situation having earlier admitted he would have to take a call if it became compulsory anyway.
And now when asked by La Voz de Galicia, Nadal has also warned rules will be the same for everyone, much like the doping rules. If the ATP brought about a travel restriction for those who are not vaccinated, then it would have to be followed by all players on the tour, including Djokovic.
Nadal said:
“Everyone is free to do what they like, but if you belong to the Tour, one has to comply to the rules of that governing body. If the Tour makes it compulsory to be vaccinated to be able to travel, it is to protect everyone.”
“Djokovic will have to be vaccinated if he wants to continue playing at the highest level.”
For now though, a vaccine looks some time off with trials going on in the world to get it out but experts reckon it wouldn’t be before mid-2021 that they would be able to come out with one.
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