Novak Djokovic of Belgrade, Serbia, the world’s number one tennis player, will not be participating at the 2022 ATP Cup according to Wajih AlBaroudi of CBS Sports. Now one needs to seriously question whether or not Djokovic will participate at the Australian Open. The nine-time Australian Open champion has not yet stated if he has been vaccinated for coronavirus, a requirement by Australian Open organizers for all players to compete.
In an interesting note, Djokovic was not required to get vaccinated in order to compete at the ATP Cup. He becomes the seventh player to withdraw from the tournament. Djokovic follows Roger Federer of Switzerland, Rafael Nadal of Spain, Dominic Thiem and Dennis Novak of Austria, and Andrey Rublev and Aslan Karatsev of Russia. Nadal, Rublev and Karatsev have tested positive for coronavirus, while Thiem is out with a wrist injury. Novak cannot travel to Australia due to health reasons according to Dzevad Mesic of Tennis World, and Federer still is battling issues with his knee, and will not compete at the Australian Open either.
This will be the third ATP Cup. Serbia was victorious over Spain in 2020, and Russia beat Italy in 2021. When Serbia won two years ago, they were led by Djokovic. With Djokovic not participating for Serbia in 2022, the Serbs will have Dusan Lajovic and Filip Krajinovic.
With Thiem and Novak out for Austria, the Austrians have no one else ranked in the top 250, which makes them ineligible to participate. They have been replaced in the tournament by France. Russia meanwhile now has Roman Safiullin teaming up with Daniil Medvedev. Switzerland is not in the tournament, while Spain will be led by Roberto Bautista Agut and Pablo Carreno Busta.
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