World number 96 Tennys Sandgren won’t compete at the Australian Open due to his vaccination status, according to prominent New York Times tennis reporter Ben Rothenberg.
Sandgren, who has made the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park in 2018 and 2020, didn’t even consider applying for a medical exemption to play in the first major of 2022.
He last played on the ATP Tour at Indian Wells, while he lost in the first round of last year’s US Open at Flushing Meadows.
The 30-year-old has repeatedly questioned the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines on Twitter, with his omission from the tournament coming after world number one Novak Djokovic was granted a medical exemption to play at the Australian Open.
Djokovic shocked the sporting world on Tuesday night after revealing he was set to board a plane to Melbourne after received an exemption to play the tournament unvaccinated.
Tennis Australia confirmed on Wednesday morning that 26 players and officials had applied for an exemption, with only a "handful" being accepted.
More #AusOpen news:
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) January 4, 2022
Two-time quarterfinalist Tennys Sandgren (2018, 2020) is pulling out of the #AusOpen because of the vaccination requirement here.
Sandgren did not try to apply for any medical exemption, he told me, because he did not meet any of the criteria listed for one.