To play without being vaccinated in Sydney, the state capital of New South Wales, the state government would have to request an exemption for Djokovic and the 34-year-old would have to undergo a 14-day quarantine on arrival.
The same option was also open to organizers of the Australian Open, but the government in Victoria, of which Melbourne is the capital, has said it will not request waivers.
The draw for the third edition of the ATP Cup team event took place in Sydney on Tuesday and organizers said Serbia, led by Djokovic, would be in Group A along with Norway, Chile and Spain.
While Djokovic’s entry will be a huge boost for Serbia and the tournament, Rafa Nadal will not be playing for Spain.
The 20-time grand champion struggled with back problems in early 2021 before withdrawing from Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics with a foot problem.
The 35-year-old Spaniard, who last played at the Citi Open in August, is aiming to return this month to a practice event in Abu Dhabi before playing another tournament in the run-up to the Australian Open.
The 2022 ATP Cup will be made up of 16 teams and will be held at two venues in the Sydney Olympic Park from January 1-9, with players competing for $10 million in prize money.
Defending champion Russia, led by World No. 2 and US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, was grouped with this year’s finalist Italy, Austria and host Australia, who will not have maverick Nick Kyrgios on his team.
The winner of each of the four groups advances to the semi-finals.
Group A — Serbia, Norway, Chile, Spain
Group B — Russia, Italy, Austria, Australia
Group C — Germany, Canada, Great Britain, United States
Group D — Greece, Poland, Argentina, Georgia
