Australia deported Novak Djokovic a day before the Australian Open, opening the door for Rafael Nadal to win the tournament and break a three-way tie between himself, Djokovic and Roger Federer to move into first on the all-time Grand Slam list with 21. Djokovic, whose visa was canceled because he was unvaccinated against COVID-19, apparently won't let a situation like that arise again.
According to Daniel Muksch, Djokovic's biographer, the world's top-ranked tennis player will likely get vaccinated after years of protest. Nadal's win at the Australian Open – a tournament Djokovic has won a record nine times – is reportedly influencing the decision.
"Rafael Nadal's 21 is driving him, no question," Muksch told Serbian TV, per Yahoo Sport. "What you hear from his environment, I think he's getting vaccinated."
If Djokovic gets vaccinated, his path to tying Nadal's record 21 Grand Slam victories becomes significantly clearer. Many tournaments and their host countries require vaccination or medical exemptions from players. Djokovic, who received a medical exemption for the Australian Open, knows first-hand they aren't fully reliable.
Without the jab, Djokovic would not be allowed to play the US Open and would need a medical exemption for the French Open. Djokovic could potentially compete at Wimbledon since the United Kingdom recently announced it would soon allow unvaccinated travelers into England.
Djokovic will return to the court for the Dubai Tennis Championships, a six-day tournament slated to begin Feb. 21. It is one of the only tournaments allowing unvaccinated players.
