Novak Djokovic to defend Wimbledon title after unvaccinated players cleared to compete

The 34-year-old was deported from Australia in January before the Australian Open due to no vaccination against Covid

Novak Djokovic has been cleared to defend his Wimbledon title after the All England Club confirmed there will be no need for players to have a Covid vaccination to compete at this year’s Championships.

There are no plans for Covid restrictions this year after impacting the Championships over the last two years.

Wimbledon chief executive Sally Bolton confirmed on Tuesday that Djokovic and other unvaccinated players can compete this summer and will not need to quarantine first.

Players can also pursue their own accommodation plans, as opposed to staying in the central London hotel, which enabled the grand slam to go ahead last year.

The tournament will also see a return to full capacity crowds in June and July, having operated last year at a reduced number following the pandemic.

She said: “The requirements set up do not include mandatory vaccination. It will not be a condition of entry for the championships this year.”

The 20-time Slam winner, who is not vaccinated against the virus, was deported earlier this year from Australia ahead of the Australian Open.

The 34-year-old will also compete at the French Open after organisers in Paris dropped all Covid restrictions.

The Serbian, as six-time winner at SW19, triumphed last year with victory over Italian Matteo Berretini in straight sets.

This Championships take place this summer from 27 June to 10 July.