LONDON (SATSports) – The ATP has proposed penalizing heavily players who falsify their COVID-19 vaccination records. If approved, a player found guilty of falsifying could be handed a $100,000 fine or a suspension for a period of up to three years.
The Australian Open is the first tournament that requires players to be fully vaccinated in order to compete and other events could follow. “Based on the proposal, if a player is found falsifying their vaccination record, they will be “subject to a fine of $100,000 and/or suspension from play in ATP Tour or ATP Challenger Tour tournaments for a period of up to three (3) years,” the ATP’s proposal read.
The ATP advised players to get vaccinated
Last weekend, Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley confirmed the mandatory vaccination news and said he’s hopeful world No. 1 Novak Djokovic would play. “We have been speaking to Novak and his team and they understand clearly that in order to come and play in the Australian Open they need to be fully vaccinated,” Tiley said.
“They know that it’s a condition for everyone, not just the players, but the fans and all the staff and he had indicated that it’s a private decision for him and at the right time he will tell us. “I know that he wants to play, he’s clearly indicated that and he knows the conditions that he would have to undergo in order to be eligible to play”.
Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews was the man who was the driving force behind banning unvaccinated players from playing at Mlebourne Park. “It’s been made very clear, when the premier announced several weeks ago that in order to participate at the Australian Open, to come into Victoria, you’ll need to be fully vaccinated,” Tiley said.
“Immediately we communicated that to the playing group. It is the one direction that you take that can ensure everyone’s safety. “All the playing group understands it. Our patrons will need to be vaccinated, all the staff working the Australian Open will need to be vaccinated, when you’re in a state where there is more than 90 percent of the population fully vaccinated, it’s the right thing to do”.
