Andy Murray has spoken on the vaccination status of rival Novak Djokovic ahead of the Serb’s possible absence from the Australian Open.
Murray is attempting to mount his latest comeback in the sport after multiple surgeries and hip problems.
On Saturday, he was beaten in the final of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi by Andrey Rublev, with the Russian world number five claiming a 6-4 7-6 (7-2) victory.
Next up for three-time Grand Slam champion Murray is a trip to Australia, where the Scot will hope for a wildcard entry in Melbourne, where the action gets under way on January 17.
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Reaching the final five times from 2010 to 2016 and suffering heartbreak on each occasion, the 34-year-old is no stranger to the tournament.
Four of those losses were to world number one Djokovic, but with a ban on unvaccinated players competing it seems the Serb, who refuses to reveal his vaccination status, could be unable to defend his crown Down Under – although recent reports have focused on whether he apply for a possible medical exemption.
During a wide-ranging interview with Eurosport, Murray was probed on whether he’d be surprised if the Serb misses out on 2022’s first major tournament because of his stance on vaccines.