TOKYO: Overseas fans will be barred from this year’s pandemic-postponed Tokyo Olympics because of ongoing coronavirus concerns, organizers announced Saturday.
“In order to give clarity to ticket holders living overseas and to enable them to adjust their travel plans at this stage, the parties on the Japanese side have come to the conclusion that they will not be able to enter into Japan at the time of the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” the Tokyo 2020 organizing body said in a statement.
The International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee “fully respect and accept this conclusion,” the statement added.
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Overseas fans banned from Tokyo Olympics over virus: organizers
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Overseas fans banned from Tokyo Olympics over virus: organizers
Djokovic ready to suffer one more time in Australian Open final
- Serbian veteran must fire up his weary body one more time with history at stake
- Novak Djokovic is striving to win a record-extending 11th Melbourne crown
MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic compared his five-set Australian Open semifinal takedown of Jannik Sinner to winning a Grand Slam and now the Serbian veteran must fire up his weary body one more time with history at stake on Sunday.
The 38-year-old stunned two-time champion Sinner to set up a bumper final on Rod Laver Arena against world number one Carlos Alcaraz, who is 16 years his junior.
The Spaniard was also forced through five sets to beat Alexander Zverev, spending more than five hours on court.
Both men are aiming to etch their names in tennis history.
Djokovic is striving to win a record-extending 11th Melbourne crown and with it a 25th major title to finally surpass Margaret Court’s long-standing landmark.
Should he do so, he will also become the oldest man to lift the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup at the Australian Open.
The 22-year-old Alcaraz has already won six Grand Slams and is bidding to become the youngest man to complete a career sweep of all four majors.
Fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal, who is in Melbourne, did it at 24.
“My preparation is as it should be, and I won against him last year here, you know, also in a grueling match,” said Djokovic, who will be making a first major finals appearance since Wimbledon in 2024.
“Let’s see. Let’s see how fresh are we both able to be.
“He also had a big match, but he has 15, 16 years on me. You know, biologically I think it’s going to be a bit easier for him to recover.”
The fourth seed last claimed a Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2023 with Sinner and Alcaraz dominating since.
Recovery will be key, with Alcaraz cramping badly against Zverev, where he battled back from a 5-3 deficit in the fifth set.
“Obviously my body could be better, to be honest, but I think that’s normal after five hours and a half,” he said after the grueling test, suggesting he may have an abductor issue.
“Hopefully it’s not going to be anything at all, but after five-hours-and-a-half match and that high level physically, I think the muscles are going to be tight.
“I just got to do whatever it takes to be as good as I can for the final.”
Djokovic leads 5-4 in their head-to-heads, but the margins have often been razor-thin.
Alcaraz won their most recent clash, at the US Open last year, but Djokovic came out on top at the Australian Open in 2025 with a gutsy four-set quarter-final victory.
Regardless of what happens, Alcaraz will remain world number one and Sinner two, with Djokovic moving up a place to three ahead of Zverev.
The 38-year-old stunned two-time champion Sinner to set up a bumper final on Rod Laver Arena against world number one Carlos Alcaraz, who is 16 years his junior.
The Spaniard was also forced through five sets to beat Alexander Zverev, spending more than five hours on court.
Both men are aiming to etch their names in tennis history.
Djokovic is striving to win a record-extending 11th Melbourne crown and with it a 25th major title to finally surpass Margaret Court’s long-standing landmark.
Should he do so, he will also become the oldest man to lift the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup at the Australian Open.
The 22-year-old Alcaraz has already won six Grand Slams and is bidding to become the youngest man to complete a career sweep of all four majors.
Fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal, who is in Melbourne, did it at 24.
“My preparation is as it should be, and I won against him last year here, you know, also in a grueling match,” said Djokovic, who will be making a first major finals appearance since Wimbledon in 2024.
“Let’s see. Let’s see how fresh are we both able to be.
“He also had a big match, but he has 15, 16 years on me. You know, biologically I think it’s going to be a bit easier for him to recover.”
The fourth seed last claimed a Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2023 with Sinner and Alcaraz dominating since.
Recovery will be key, with Alcaraz cramping badly against Zverev, where he battled back from a 5-3 deficit in the fifth set.
“Obviously my body could be better, to be honest, but I think that’s normal after five hours and a half,” he said after the grueling test, suggesting he may have an abductor issue.
“Hopefully it’s not going to be anything at all, but after five-hours-and-a-half match and that high level physically, I think the muscles are going to be tight.
“I just got to do whatever it takes to be as good as I can for the final.”
Djokovic leads 5-4 in their head-to-heads, but the margins have often been razor-thin.
Alcaraz won their most recent clash, at the US Open last year, but Djokovic came out on top at the Australian Open in 2025 with a gutsy four-set quarter-final victory.
Regardless of what happens, Alcaraz will remain world number one and Sinner two, with Djokovic moving up a place to three ahead of Zverev.
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