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After weeks of speculation, Novak Djokovic is officially out of the 2022 ATP Cup. In a statement, tournament organizers confirmed that the World No. 1 has withdrawn from the event. Serbia will now be led by Dusan Lajovic, who is ranked 33rd in the world.
"It was also announced Wednesday that World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the ATP Cup. Serbia remains in the competition and will be led by World No. 33 Dusan Lajovic." - organizers said in a statement
Djokovic's participation in Australia has been a contentious subject over the past few weeks. Since the government's announcement that athletes will have to be fully vaccinated to enter the country, the World No. 1's decision has been eagerly awaited.
A few days ago, it was reported that Djokovic will in fact be skipping the ATP Cup.
"Novak is not going to ATP Cup. He is practicing, but he’s decided to skip that competition."
However, just recently an official from Tennis Australia refuted the earlier report by stating that no one has officially withdrawn from Team Serbia.
"No withdrawals from Team Serbia."
This added to the confusion, but now there's final confirmation on the matter.
Djokovic's withdrawal means Serbia are without their best player, which will significantly hurt their chances in the tournament. They won the inaugural edition of the ATP Cup in 2020 and the World No. 1 was instrumental in their victory.
Novak Djokovic's participation at Australian Open still unclear
After Novak Djokovic's decision to withdraw from the ATP Cup, all eyes will be on his next move. The big question on everyone's mind is whether the Serb will compete at the Australian Open or not.
While all athletes must be fully vaccinated before entering Australia, there is a provision for exemption. If someone has a medical condition which prevents them from complying with the vaccine requirements, they could be eligible for a medical exemption.
Reports suggest that Australian Open organizers are attempting to secure an exemption for the Serb which would allow him to defend his title in Melbourne.
But all this is just speculation at the moment, as official confirmation from Novak Djokovic is yet to be received.
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