Roland Garros admits unvaccinated tennis players like Djokovic and Russians like Medvedev

Tennis players not vaccinated against Covid-19 and Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed in the second Grand Slam of the year, the Roland Garros tournament. At least, that’s what the organizers of the event say so far.

The decision was announced by the French Tennis Federation, which organizes the competition, with a dispute scheduled for the period from May 22 to June 5 of this year.

Thus, Novak Djokovic, 34, who was banned from the Australian Open earlier this year for not being vaccinated against the coronavirus, will be able to participate in the tournament. Current champion of Roland Garros, he seeks his third title in France to equal Rafael Nadal’s slam record, who was champion in Australia and reached 21 trophies.

“Right now, nothing prevents Djokovic from participating in the tournament,” said event director Amelie Mauresmo on Wednesday (16).

“It is necessary to have strict neutrality with Russian and Belarusian players,” added Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, director general, guaranteeing for the time being that athletes such as the current world number 1, Daniil Medvedev, 26, from Russia, will be able to participate in the tournament.

The statement is important because the two countries have been suffering trade sanctions and also in the sport due to the war in Ukraine. In F1, for example, the Russian driver Mazepin was fired from his team; in football, the owner of Chelsea, Roman Abramovich, had his assets frozen and the club lost sponsors, in addition to suffering operating restrictions, since the beginning of the conflict.

Medvedev, on the other hand, recently assumed the position of best in the world (but will leave the position next week, when he will be surpassed precisely by Djokovic) and has been applauded in tournaments – but has avoided, until now, making more assertive comments about the Russian invasion.

The direction of Roland Garros made it clear that the position is valid for “this moment”, as stated by the president of the French Tennis Federation, Gilles Moretton.

“There is still a virus circulating and we have to be cautious. If things start to get worse again and the government needs to come up with new measures [restritivas]we will not be an exception to these rules”, he added, regarding Djokovic’s case.

Currently, France does not require proof of vaccination to enter the country or to attend sporting events. But the Serbian tennis player, for example, was left out of the recent tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami, both in the US, because the country does not allow the entry of people who do not prove their immunization.

He, who says he is not against the vaccine (but, as far as is known, chose not to immunize himself), is also a partner in a company that tries to develop alternative medicines against the coronavirus.