Nadal, others on Djokovic saga: ‘Bit tired of the situation’

By JOHN PYE and HOWARD FENDRICH
AP Sports Writers

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Rafael Nadal has expressed thoughts shared by many others in the tennis world when it comes to Novak Djokovic’s will-he-or-won’t-he-play saga ahead of the Australian Open. Nadal says he’s tired of the situation. The run-up to the year’s first Grand Slam tournament has been all about Djokovic and his hopes of defending his title at a vaccination-required competition while not being vaccinated against COVID-19. This is Nadal’s first Grand Slam appearance in more than seven months. It also marks Naomi Osaka’s return from her second mental health break of 2021. But Djokovic’s legal efforts to avoid deportation and play in the tournament when it starts next week are dominating the conversation in Melbourne.