Djokovic clear to defend his Wimbledon title

By Selcuk Bugra Gokalp

ANKARA (AA) - Novak Djokovic will be able to defend his Wimbledon title in the 2022 Grand Slam, said the chief executive of the All England Club, the organization behind the Wimbledon Championships, on Tuesday.

Sally Bolton said the 34-year-old Serbian player, who is unvaccinated against COVID-19, will be allowed to participate in the Grand Slam as no jabs are required to enter the UK.

Bolton added that all players are "of course" encouraged to get vaccinated but it will not be mandatory in this year's tournament.

Russian and Belarusian tennis players were previously banned from participating in 2022 Wimbledon due to Moscow's "unjustified" war on Ukraine, the organizers said on April 20.

In March, Djokovic, a 20-time grand slam champion, was cleared to defend his French Open title as well.

The world number one in men's tennis was previously expelled from Australia and barred from participating in the 2022 Australian Open for skipping COVID-19 vaccination.

The Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open are the four major tournaments in tennis.