Novak Djokovic is set to make a sensational U-turn on his anti-vaccination stance after missing out on playing in the Australian Open.
The world No 1 sparked an explosive sequence of events in early January when he announced he would be competing at Melbourne Park despite not having received his jabs, having been given a medical exemption by tournament organisers.
That proved anything but the end of the matter though, and upon his arrival down under he was detained by border force officials before having his visa revoked.
His lawyers won a subsequent appeal to stop him being deported only for the country's immigration minister, Alex Hawke, to cancel his visa a second time after it emerged Djokovic had flouted isolation rules in Serbia after testing positive for Covid on December 16.
Furthermore, he also had to explain why his immigration forms were submitted with false information, stating he had not travelled anywhere in the 14 days before arriving in Australia, despite evidence that he'd been in Spain.
The Serbian again launched an appeal but this time around three judges unanimously dismissed his case, and he duly flew home just hours before the first Grand Slam of 2022 was due to get underway.
To exacerbate his despair, Djokovic then had to watch from afar as rival Rafael Nadal claimed the title to become the first player in history to land 21 Slam titles, with the pair having previously been tied with Roger Federer on 20.
And now Djokovic's biographer, Daniel Muksch, has claimed the pain of being surpassed by Nadal has prompted him to backdown on his refusal to take the vaccine.
In an interview on Servus TV, which was translated by SportsKeeda, Muksch said: "Maybe the final in Melbourne also contributed to that.
"Rafael Nadal's 21 is driving him, no question. What you hear from his environment, I think he's getting vaccinated."
Djokovic is due to return to action at the Dubai Tennis Championships, which begin on February 21.
For that tournament, he won't need to be vaccinated against Covid, so there should be few complications when he arrives in the UAE this month.
However, his future participation in numerous other tournaments, including the French Open, Wimbledon, and the Australian Open, could be jeopardised if he doesn't go back on his previous vow to not get the jabs.
