“It’s a Personal Choice”: Pierre Hugues-Herbert Intentionally Pulls Out of Australian Open 2022

The focus of the tennis world is now shifting towards next season, with the players training themselves for the upcoming Australian Open 2022. Since it is the first opportunity up for grabs for Grand Slam glory, players are keen to get off to a good start to the new season.

However, due to the effects of the pandemic, organizers at the Australian Open 2022 have decided to implement strict regulations on people associated with this event as a whole. Players who aren’t be vaccinated will not be allowed to compete. 

Pierre-Hugues Herbert withdraws from Australian Open 2022  

One such player is Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert. He won the doubles title in Melbourne in 2019 and has completed the Career Grand Slam for doubles. 

On withdrawing from the Australian Open 2022, he said, “Personally, I am not vaccinated and the trip to Australia was not an option for me. I do what I can. But because of my singles ranking, it may have been a bad thing (to go to Australia) for a good start.”

The Frenchman said that being vaccinated is a personal decision and since he isn’t, he won’t be competing in Australia. He did go on to state that this is not only the situation in Australia but also in the United States of America and other countries. 

Tennis – French Open – Roland Garros, Paris, France – May 31, 2021 France’s Pierre-Hugues Herbert in action during his first round match against Italy’s Jannik Sinner REUTERS/Christian Hartmann

The 30-year-old added, “For my part, it is a personal choice not to be vaccinated. I don’t know how long it will last. I don’t know if it’s feasible today to be a tennis player without being vaccinated. There is not only Australia. Today, there is the United States, Austria … it is a rather complex topic.”

Tennis fans can expect quite a few headlines towards the build-up of the Australian Open 2022. It will be interesting to see how things unfold in the upcoming weeks. Are you excited about the first Grand Slam tournament of the year? 

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