Novak Djokovic’s stance on vaccines led to him being unable to defend his Australian Open title earlier this year. However, the former World No. 1 will have a shot at defending his Roland Garros crown in a few months, as confirmed by tournament director Amelie Mauresmo.
Many Russian athletes are facing restrictions due to the ongoing Ukraine crisis, but WTA chief Steve Simon feels players shouldn’t have to deal with the consequences of their country’s leadership.
Former Ukrainian tennis pro Alexandr Dolgopolov is the latest player to join the fight to defend his country. Additionally, all Grand Slams will now follow the 10 point tie-break in the final set and Rafael Nadal extends his winning streak. Here’s a round-up of the day’s biggest news.
French Open tournament director Amelie Mauresmo confirmed Novak Djokovic would be able to participate in the tournament
With France relaxing its vaccination rules and Novak Djokovic adding Monte Carlo Masters to his schedule, it is expected that Djokovic will be able to compete in the French Open. French Open tournament director Amelie Mauresmo has now confirmed that he’ll be able to defend his title based on the current situation.
However, FFT president Gilles Moretton stated that things could change before the tournament and if the government introduces new measures, they would have to follow them. This could mean that Djokovic might be barred from participating in a last-minute change in rules.
WTA head Steve Simon doesn’t agree with banning Russian players
In an interview with BBC, WTA chief Steve Simon stated that athletes shouldn’t have to face the repurcussions of their country’s political leadership. Russia and Belarus have already been disqualified from the Davis Cup and the Billie Jean King Cup. Athletes from the two countries are also currently competing under a neutral flag.
The UK government also recently announced that Daniil Medvedev and other Russian athletes will have to provide assurances that they’re not supporters of Vladimir Putin if they want to compete at Wimbledon. Simon added that tennis tours haven’t banned players due to their country’s political stance, so it would take something drastic for that to change.
Alexandr Dolgopolov returns to Ukraine to aid his country’s war efforts
Former Ukrainian tennis pro Sergiy Stakhovsky was already a part of his country’s military efforts and now compatriot Alexandr Dolgopolov has joined the fight as well.
Dolgopolov, who reached a career-high ranking of 13 and officially retired this year, posted on Instagram about his decision to return to defend his country.
All Majors to follow the 10 point tie-break rule in the final set from the 2022 Roland Garros
All four Grand Slams jointly announced their decision to implement the 10 point tie-break once the match reaches 6-6 in the final set. Currently, deciding sets at all the Majors have different rules. While the Australian Open is already following this rule, there’s no final set tie-break at Roland Garros.
Wimbledon organizers previously tweaked the final set rules, implementing a tie-break after the match reaches 12-12, but that’s about to change now. The US Open had a standard seven-point final set tie-break. While the new rules kick off at Roland Garros, this latest development will only be on a trial basis for a year, after which a final decision will be made.
Rafael Nadal improves to 18-0 in 2022
Rafael Nadal extended his winning streak to 18 matches this year. Reilly Opelka was his latest scalp as the Spaniard defeated him 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5) in the fourth round of the Indian Wells Masters.
Nadal is set to face Australian Nick Kyrgios in the quarterfinals. He leads the Australian 5-3 in the head-to-head.
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