All England Club rules Djokovic can play Wimbledon without vaccine

The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), the venue that hosts the Wimbledon tournament, announced that Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic and other players can compete in the tournament despite being unvaccinated against COVID-19. 

AELTC CEO Sally Bolton said at a news conference on Tuesday that unvaccinated players can compete in the annual tournament, adding that players won’t be required to enter a quarantine period once they arrive for the tournament. 

“As you will be aware, the requirements set out by government to enter the U.K. do not include mandatory vaccination,” Bolton said at the news conference. “And therefore, whilst of course it is encouraged, it will not be a condition of entry to compete at the championships this year.” 

Bolton also said players will be allowed to book their own hotel accommodations, rather than staying together in the same hotel, which was protocol during the 2021 tournament. 

“We will see full capacity crowds for the whole event,” Bolton said. “And we’re absolutely thrilled to welcome back the wider tennis family to Wimbledon this year.”

This comes after Djokovic, who is seeking his 21st Grand Slam title, was prohibited from competing in the Australian Open and several U.S.-based tennis competitions earlier this year due to his unvaccinated status and COVID-19 restrictions. 

Djokovic, 34, is one of several prominent athletes in recent months to voice their skepticism about COVID-19 vaccines and mandates. 

The French Open announced last month that Djokovic would be eligible to play in the tournament despite his unvaccinated status. 

Wimbledon also announced last week that it has banned Russian and Belarusian players from competing in this year’s contest due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. That move has met with disapproval from players and both men’s and women’s tennis associations.