NOVAK DJOKOVIC (SRB) TENNIS , AUSTRALIAN OPEN SERIES, MELBOURNE PARK, MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA, GRAND SLAM, HARD COURT, OUTDOOR, ITF, ATP, WTA, 2021, © TENNIS PHOTO NETWORK
Monte Carlo Masters 2022: The World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is back in action on the ATP tour after a gap of two months
Novak Djokovic is set to face Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in a Round of 32 matches at the Monte Carlo Masters. Djokovic is the top seed in the tournament while Fokina has a world ranking of 43 in men’s singles and is unseeded. This will be Djokovic’s first match on the ATP tour since his quarter-final loss at the Dubai Tennis Championships in February. Djokovic received a bye in the previous round due to his superior seeding while Davidovich Fokina pulled off an impressive 7-5, 6-3 straight-sets win against Marcos Giron in his first-round encounter.
Novak Djokovic and Alejandro Fokina have faced each other on the ATP tour two times in the past. Djokovic won comfortably in straight sets on both occasions – 2021 Tokyo Olympics and 2021 Rome Masters. On paper, Djokovic is the clear favourite going into the match both in terms of rankings and head to head records. We predict a comprehensive win for the Serbian in straight sets.
Novak Djokovic has missed a lot of tournaments this year because he has refused to take the Covid-19 vaccination. Djokovic was sent back from the Australian Open under controversial circumstances. He was then not allowed to play in the USA. He missed ATP 1000 tournaments like the Indian Wells Masters and Miami Open. The Serbian was set to miss the Monte Carlo Masters and the Roland Garros as well. But the French authorities brought a change in vaccination regulations.
Earlier, French authorities had announced that unvaccinated players won’t be allowed to take part however in an announcement last month, the French PM stated that restrictions with regards to vaccination passes won’t be in effect from March 14. This announcement came as a major boost to Djokovic who can now play the tournaments to defend his No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings.
Djokovic has a rigid stance on vaccination. He had earlier said missing competitions such as the French Open over his jab status is a price that he’s willing to pay. “I was never against vaccination but I’ve always supported the freedom to choose what you put in your body”, said the 20-time Grand Slam Champion in a public interview.
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