(Vienna) Austrian tennis player Dominic Thiem, world No. 9 and winner of the 2020 United States Internatals, announced on Tuesday that he had been vaccinated in preparation for his return to competition in December and his participation in the next Internationals from Australia.
“I will play in Abu Dhabi (December 16-18, Editor’s note), with the objective of returning to the circuit for the Australian Open”, scheduled for January 17 to 30, 2022 in Melbourne, he wrote in a statement transmitted to AFP.
“It goes without saying that the vaccine is required to participate in these two events, and in my case I have already been vaccinated,” said the 28-year-old champion.
Dominique Thiem regretted that the subject of his vaccination made headlines in Austria last week, after the appeal made to him by the Minister of Health, Wolfgang Mückstein.
“Hopefully next time things will not go so far,” said the player, who had expressed his reluctance in early October to current anti-COVID-19 serums.
Removed from the circuit for an injury to the right wrist since mid-August, he explained “to be on the right track” and to have been able “to resume training with normal tennis balls”.
The issue of vaccination is at the heart of discussions in world tennis ahead of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the 2022 season.
The Australian authorities have reiterated the urgent need to be vaccinated to participate. Nine-time Melbourne winner and vaccine-resistant Novak Djokovic said in Paris on Sunday that he was awaiting an official announcement from the Australian Federation to make his decision whether or not to defend his title.