Djokovic allowed to play at Wimbledon despite being unvaccinated

“The requirement set out by the government to enter the U.K. does not include mandatory vaccination,” All England Lawn Tennis Club Chief Executive Sally Bolton said Tuesday, per the BBC. “Therefore, while it is of course encouraged, it is not a condition of entry.”

Wimbledon is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, alongside the Australian Open, the French Open, and the U.S. Open. The event is scheduled to take place from June 27 to July 10. Djokovic has won the tournament six times, including the most recent events in 2018, 2019, and 2021.

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In January, Australia drew international outcry for revoking Djokovic’s visa because he was unvaccinated, preventing him from competing in the Australian Open and defending his title there. Djokovic, 34, had won that tournament nine times and was one win away from the most major wins in men’s tennis history.

Djokovic has since declared he was willing to miss out on other Grand Slam events over his refusal to receive the jab. He also skipped tournaments in Indian Wells, California, and Miami, Florida, due to U.S. rules at the time governing unvaccinated foreigners, ABC reported.

The next event on the docket is the French Open, starting on May 22, and the director said there is nothing stopping him from competing there. As for the U.S. Open, officials said they will follow whatever rules the government puts in place.

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Djokovic recently drew attention for his criticism of the ban on Russian and Belarusian players from competing at Wimbledon. He condemned Russia’s war in Ukraine, but he argued that when “politics interferes with sport, the result is not good.”

In total, he has won 20 Grand Slam titles so far, tied with Roger Federer for the second most of all time. Rafael Nadal leads the duo after winning his 21st title at the most recent Australia Open.