Tennis: Novak Djokovic gets vaccine exemption to play in Australian Open

Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Novak Djokovic received a medical exemption from getting vaccinated against COVID-19 and plans to play in the 2022 Australian Open, the No. 1 men's tennis player wrote Tuesday on social media.

"I've spent fantastic quality time with my loved ones over the break and today I'm heading down under with an exemption permission," Djokovic wrote Tuesday on Instagram and Twitter. "Let's go 2022."

The 2022 Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament on the annual tennis calendar, runs from Jan. 17 to 30 in Melbourne. Djokovic won the last three men's singles titles at the event and owns a total of nine crowns from Melbourne.

Djokovic previously said he was unsure about his participation in the Grand Slam due to quarantine rules in Australia. Australian Open organizers stipulate that participants must be vaccinated or receive a medical exemption from an independent panel of experts.

Tennis Australia said that Djokovic is on his way to Australia. The Serbian also included a photo of himself while he stood at an airport, along with his message, in his most-recent social media post.

"Djokovic applied for a medical exemption which was granted following a rigorous review process involving two separate independent panels of medical experts,'' Tennis Australia said in a statement.

"One of those was the Independent Medical Exemption Review Panel appointed by the Victorian Department of Health. They assessed all applications to see if they met the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization guidelines.''

Djokovic is tied with No. 16 Roger Federer of Switzerland and No. 6 Rafael Nadal of Spain for the most Grand Slam singles titles in men's tennis history (20).

Nadal tested positive for COVID-19 last month and said he couldn't "guarantee" his participation in the Australian Open, but posted a photo of himself at the tournament venue on New Year's Eve on social media.

Federer, who is recovering from knee surgery, said in November that he would not participate in the Grand Slam. Stan Wawrinka, Dominic Thiem, Serena Williams, Bianca Andreescu and Karolina Pliskova are among the other players who won't be in Melbourne.