"As things stand, nothing stands in the way of Novak Djokovic taking part in the French Open"

Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo has confirmed that current rules will not stop Novak Djokovic from competing at Roland Garros this year. French Tennis Federation (FFT) president Gilles Moretton warned, though, that the event would not be excluded from any new COVID-19 measures introduced by the French government.

Earlier this month, the French government announced that it would lift its rules regarding COVID-19 vaccine passes. The new rules came into force on 14 March, ending the requirement for people to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to enter public spaces like stadiums and cafes.

This appears to clear the way for Djokovic, who has not been vaccinated, to play the 2022 French Open, which is scheduled to begin on 22 May. The lifting of restrictions means the 34-year-old will also be able to compete at the Monte-Carlo Masters, which is set to start on 9 April.

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Speaking at a news conference, former World No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo confirmed that the Serb would be able to participate in Paris under current circumstances.

"As things stand, nothing stands in the way of Djokovic taking part in the French Open," Mauresmo said.

FFT president Gilles Moretton offered a reminder that the situation could change again before the tournament and gave an update on ticket sales.

"There's still a virus circulating and we have to be cautious," Moretton said. "If things were to happen again and the government would take new measures, we would not be excluded from these measures. We started selling tickets on March 8 and 500,000 of the 600,000 have already been sold. Out of the 150,000 tickets for the night sessions, 100,000 have been sold."

Novak Djokovic is the defending French Open champion

Novak Djokovic celebrates winning the 2021 French Open

Novak Djokovic is the defending champion at Roland Garros. He defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final in 2021 to win a 19th Grand Slam crown. The 34-year-old came back from two sets to love for the first time in a Major final to triumph against the Greek.

The victory saw the Serb become the first man in the Open Era to complete a double Career Grand Slam (winning all four Major titles at least twice). He added a then joint-record 20th men's Major crown at Wimbledon last year, equaling rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

Nadal won his 21st Grand Slam title at this year's Australian Open and also completed the double Career Grand Slam.