Venus Williams at the French Open
The Australian Open will allow players who were unvaccinated at the French Open to take part after a new rule was put in place, according to media reports.
Sports Illustrated reports that any player who took part in May’s French Open, but was unvaccinated at the time, will be allowed to return to competition.
The European Association of Professional Tennis Players (EAPTP) is said to have removed the new policy.
Tournament director Craig Tiley said “all athletes are required to be fully vaccinated”.
“To date, all players can take part on the qualifying and main draw if they are vaccinated but any exemptions that were given to players taking part in the French Open were removed because they did not meet the new eligibility criteria,” he said.
“If anything, there will be more unvaccinated players in Australia next year because of the success of tennis in France.”
Competition for that place is likely to be stiff – there are currently six players who have passed the selection criteria in the Men’s Draw.
Australian official James Todd denied the new rule, saying: “We won’t be encouraging or encouraging people to participate. It’s ridiculous.”
Australian pair Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis each withdrew from Wimbledon last year after failing to show up for the finals of the Australian Open and Indian Wells respectively.
And at the French Open, meanwhile, France’s Kristina Mladenovic was asked to remove a shirt from the warm-up ahead of her first-round match because it contained hydrating tablets used to treat hay fever.