Novak Djokovic can play in French Open without a vaccine - French sports minister Roxane Maracineanu

Updated 07/01/2022 at 12:39 GMT

As Serbian world tennis number one is detained in an Australian hotel ahead of the country's Grand Slam event, the French sports minister has clarified that if he follows current protocols at Roland-Garros and in the country, he would be able to arrive in France without a vaccine and be able to take part in the French Open.

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France’s sports minister confirmed on Friday that Novak Djokovic will be able to enter the country and play in this year’s French Open even if unvaccinated.

Most country’s citizens and residents are permitted to enter France regardless of their vaccine status (with some exceptions), but unvaccinated entrants to the country face more restrictions regarding initial self-isolation and access to private businesses.

Djokovic is currently in an isolation hotel after his ultimately unauthorised entry to Australia ahead of the Australian Open. He seems set to leave the country without participating in the Grand Slam though no final decision has been made.

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The Serbian world number one has criticised mandatory vaccinations for coronavirus and has not made his own vaccine status clear.

Sports minister Roxane Maracineanu said Djokovic would be able to take part in the French Open at Roland-Garros if he followed current protocols.

France’s president Emmanuel Macron and other political figures in the country hope to increase vaccine and booster take-up as they deal with a surge of the Omicron virus, though some experts believe the peak of the wave will subside in a little over a week.

"He would not follow the same organisational arrangements as those who are vaccinated," Maracineanu said to FranceInfo radio station.

But he will nonetheless be able to compete [at Roland Garros] because the protocols, the health bubble, allows it.

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