INTERNATIONAL: Tennis players planning to compete at the Australian Open in Melbourne are being encouraged to get vaccinated by the Australian government. The state of Victoria, of which Melbourne is the capital, has introduced a vaccine mandate for all professional athletes, but authorities have yet to clarify whether this applies to athletes from overseas.

Victoria sports minister, Martin Pakula, has urged players to leave no room for doubt. He says getting vaccinated gives players the best opportunity to play, with the extent of the mandate expected to be clarified in the coming weeks.

Both the women's WTA and men's ATP tours have urged players to get vaccinated, but some have expressed reservations, including reigning Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic, who is opposed to vaccine mandates. Tennis Australia, which organises the Grand Slam event, has not disclosed any arrangements for players for the upcoming tournament in January, but fully-vaccinated players are expected to enjoy more freedoms to move around and might well be able to avoid the country's mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Australia's borders remain effectively shut to all non-residents. It is not known if unvaccinated people would even be allowed to enter the country by the time the Australian Open rolls around on 17 January.

^{PHOTO: SHOTS OF MELBOURNE IN LOCKDOWN / SHOTS OF THE ROD LAVER ARENA WHERE THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN IS HELD / FOOTAGE OF 2021 WINNERS NOVAK DJOKOVIC AND NAOMI OSAKA / FOOTAGE OF DJOKOVIC IN QUARANTINE AT THIS YEAR'S EVENT / VARIOUS FOOTAGE OF FANS AT THE ROD LAVER ARENA AT THIS YEAR'S EVENT}