The 2022 Australian Open is quickly approaching but world No. 1 Novak Djokovic could be forced to sit out. The tournament announced that every single player must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but the Serbian has constantly refused to reveal if he's been inoculated or not. Djokovic also said that he won't play if a mandatory vaccination rule was put in place.

Australian Open director Craig Tiley released this statement on the possibility of Djokovic not participating in the prestigious competition. Via The Independent:

“There has been a lot of speculation around Novak’s position. He has noted and said publicly that it is a private matter. We would love to see Novak here [but] he knows he has to be vaccinated in order to play.”

Djokovic, a nine-time winner of the Australian Open, is chasing his 21st grand slam but continues to stay firm on his stance. The 34-year-old, who faces Alexander Zverev in the ATP Tour Semifinals in Turin, Italy on Saturday, spoke out on the vaccination rule and insisted that he will not cooperate with Tiley's rules:

“You should have the freedom to choose, to decide what you want to do. In this particular case, what you want to put in your body.”

The Australian Open without Novak Djokovic will certainly feel different, but it will give others a chance to win a major such as Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, and Stefanos Tsitsipas, among others. All three players are ranked in the top five in the ATP rankings.

The tournament kicks off on January 17th. On the women's side, Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams have already confirmed they will be in Melbourne.