Novak Djokovic confirms tennis return at tournament without vaccination rule

Novak Djokovic will make his first appearance of the year in next month’s Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship – a tournament which does not require vaccination.

The world number one was named on the entry list for the ATP Tour event on Wednesday and now both the tournament and the player have confirmed his participation, with the schedule page on Djokovic’s website updated to include the competition.

It will be the Serbian’s first appearance since he was deported from Australia prior to the start of the Australian Open, with Immigration Minister Alex Hawke having ruled that his presence in the country could stoke anti-vax sentiment.

Confirming that Djokovic would headline the event, Dubai Duty Free CEO Colm McLoughlin said: ‘We are thrilled to welcome so many top players to our 30th year celebrations of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

‘We are delighted to see Novak back in Dubai for the twelfth time when he will be seeking his sixth title and we wish him the best of luck.’

Djokovic’s website – which was extremely quick to remove the Australian Open from his schedule after his appeal was unsuccessful – added simply: ‘Novak will be bidding for a sixth crown in Dubai’.

Unlike the Australian Open, the Dubai tournament, which kicks off on February 21, has no vaccination requirement against Covid-19, with entrants to the country not required to show proof of a vaccine.

However, it remains to be seen what Djokovic’s schedule will look like after Dubai with his vaccination status potentially preventing him from competing at Indian Wells and the Miami Open in March.

There were previously suggestions he would need to be vaccinated to compete at the French Open, but France’s sports minister confirmed he would be allowed to compete at Rolland Garros…