World No. 1 and defending champion Novak Djokovic was named on the official entry list for Australian Open 2022 day after he was included in the entry list for ATP Cup in Sydney. However, 23-time Grand lam champion Serena Williams was not included.

Novak Djokovic’s participation in the Australian Open was in doubt as the tournament organisers had issued a mandate, saying all players playing in the season’s first Grand Slam should be vaccinated. Djokovic has declined to disclose his vaccination status after having said a player should be free to choose what he puts in his body.

Notably, Djokovic’s father Srdjan Djokovic had slammed the Australian Open organisers, saying the Covid-19 mandate amounts to blackmail and added that his son might not play the Grand Slam tournament.

Djokovic has won nine Melbourne Park titles, including this year’s tournament, and shares the record of 20 men’s grand slams with Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal.

Meanwhile, Serena Williams, who won the last of her seven Australian Open titles in 2017, had an injury-disrupted season and has not played since she limped out of her first-round match at Wimbledon in tears due to the leg injury.

Tournament organizer Craig Tiley said last month that the 40-year-old American, who needs one more Grand Slam title to match Margaret Court’s record of 24, would be playing at Melbourne Park from January 17 to 30.