Unvaccinated Novak Djokovic Still Awaiting Decision On Australian Open

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After being banned from two of this year's Grand Slams, Novak Djokovic is now awaiting to hear whether or not he'll be able to play in the Australian Open in January. Djokovic was forced to miss the US Open and Australian Open earlier this year due to his vaccination status.

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He was deported from Australia last January after a 10-day legal saga that ended with his visa being revoked. The Joker was originally granted an exemption from Australia's extremely strict vaccination rules to play in the Australian Open, but that exemption was quickly reversed.

He's hoping tournament organizers, and the country of Australia, come to a different decision for the 2023 event.

“It’s really not in my hands right now,” Djokovic told the AP Thursday at the Laver Cup. “So I’m hoping I will get some positive news.”

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Djokovic has been adamant from Day 1 that he will not decide to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Currently, the United States is not allowing unvaccinated foreigners into the country, hence Djokovic's ban from competing in New York in the US Open.

He has no regrets about missing the year's final Slam.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 10: Novak Djokovic (SRB) gestures to his team during his Gentlemen's Singles Final against Nick Kyrgios (AUS) during day fourteen of The Championships Wimbledon 2022 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 10, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

“I don’t have any regrets. I mean, I do feel sad that I wasn’t able to play (at the U.S. Open), but that was a decision that I made and I knew what the consequences would be,” Djokovic said. “So I accepted them and that’s it.”

Djokovic won Wimbledon in July for what was his 21st Grand Slam title and fell to Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals at the French Open in June.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and all other happenings in the world of golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.