Djokovic should clarify reasons for Australian Open medical exemption, says Toni Nadal

Tournament
organisers
have
faced
a
backlash
after
it
was
announced
this
week
that
men’s
world
number
one
Djokovic
has
been
granted
a
medical
exemption
to
play
in
the
first
grand
slam
of
the
year.

Protocols
in
Australia
require
proof
that
competitors
and
staff
have
been
jabbed
or
have
a
medical
exemption
to
compete
at
Melbourne
Park.
Djokovic
has
thus
far
refused
to
state
whether
he
has
been
vaccinated.

Australian
prime
minister
Scott
Morrison
said
on
Wednesday
that
Djokovic
would
be
on
the
“next
plane
home”
if
he
fails
to
prove
he
is
medically
exempt,
though
tournament
organiser
Craig
Tiley
insisted
the
20-time
major
champion
had
not
been
given
a
“special
favour”
to
play.

Nadal,
the
uncle
of
Djokovic’s
long-term
rival
and
also
20-time
major
victor
Rafael
Nadal,
has
now
weighed
in,
expressing
surprise
the
Serbian
did
not
pull
out
of
the
tournament
and
urging
him
to
clarify
his
situation.

In
his
column
for
El
Pais,
Nadal
wrote:
“I
must
admit
that,
until
Tuesday’s
announcement,
I
thought
that
the
Serbian
player
would
give
up
participating
in
the
tournament
or
that
he
would
get
the
vaccine.

“The
way
I
understand
it,
if
you
have
requested
and
received
an
exemption
then
it’s
because
you
must
not
have
been
administered
any
of
the
authorised
[vaccines].

“There
are
almost
six
million
people
who
have
lost
their
lives
due
to
this
damn
virus
and
many
other
millions
who
have
received
the
vaccine.

“I
want
to
think
that
Novak
is
no
stranger
to
all
this
and
that
he
will
clear
up
the
doubts
as
a
sign
of
human
sensitivity
and
understanding.”

The
Australian
Open
begins
on
January
17.