MELBOURNE: Australia’s Victoria state has included professional athletes in a vaccination mandate that will require about 1.25 million “authorized workers” to have two COVID-19 shots by the end of November.
Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews announced the health order on Friday as the southern state grapples with an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant.
The categories of authorized workers released by the Victoria government include “professional or high-performance sportsperson, workers that support the safe running of that person’s professional sport” and broadcasters.
Authorized workers must have their first vaccine shot by Oct. 15 and their second by Nov. 26 or face being banned from their workplaces.
“Ultimately, if you want to come to work and you’re on the authorized list, you need to have your first jab by (Oct. 15),” Andrews told reporters as Victoria announced 1,143 new local COVID-19 cases on Friday.
Victoria is Australia’s first state to introduce such a sweeping vaccine mandate, though vaccination was made compulsory for workers in aged care last month across the country.
Victoria is home to dozens of professional teams in soccer, cricket, Australian Rules football and rugby, and is also a base for high performance hubs in tennis, golf, athletics and other sports.
It was unclear whether the mandate would extend to athletes visiting from other states or overseas.
England’s cricket team is to tour Melbourne for the Boxing Day test on Dec. 26 during the Ashes, while the Australian Open tennis Grand Slam at Melbourne Park draws hundreds of international players.
Andrews said he would be surprised if England’s Ashes squad would be allowed to enter the country unless all their players and staff were fully vaccinated. The first test starts in Brisbane on Dec. 8.
“I don’t issue passports or visas ... but I think it is highly unlikely that the Commonwealth government will be letting anybody into this country that has not been double-vaxxed, certainly in the medium term,” he said.
“That might change over time.”
England’s cricket board (ECB) said they expect their traveling party for the Ashes to be fully vaccinated.
“Selection will be confirmed in due course,” a spokesman told Reuters.
Governing body Cricket Australia (CA) said every nationally contracted cricketer, male and female, were already fully vaccinated and 98 percent of domestic professionals had received one shot.
“Virtually every single professional player will be fully vaccinated by the end of this month,” CA said in a statement.
The Australian Football League, the governing body for the top flight of Australian Rules football, said it was waiting for “formal government directions” on the next steps.
Ahead of Ashes clash with England, Australian state makes COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for athletes
https://arab.news/5wkcv
Ahead of Ashes clash with England, Australian state makes COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for athletes
- Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews announced the health order on Friday
- Categories of authorised workers include "professional or high-performance sportsperson, workers that support the safe running of that person’s professional sport" and broadcasters
Tsitsipas, Auger-Aliassime, Medvedev, Rublev lead star-studded Dubai ATP 500 lineup
DUBAI: The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships will again welcome a world-class men’s line-up in 2026, with defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas joined by Felix Auger-Aliassime, Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev for the ATP 500 from Feb. 23–28.
Tsitsipas will aim to defend the title he claimed last year when he capped a dominant week with victory over Auger-Aliassime. The triumph was a highlight of the Greek star’s season, underlining his ability on hard courts.
Auger-Aliassime, currently ranked world No. 7, arrives in Dubai following one of the most successful campaigns of his career. The Canadian lifted three ATP Tour titles in 2025 — Adelaide, Montpellier and Brussels — and reached the semifinals of the US Open, adding to his credentials as a leading contender after last year’s runner-up finish in Dubai.
Former champions Medvedev and Rublev join the field. Medvedev, the 2023 Dubai winner and 2021 US Open champion, remains one of the most formidable hard-court players on tour, with his tactical discipline and experience proving well suited to conditions in the UAE. Rublev, champion in 2022, returns after another consistent season, bringing his trademark intensity and powerful baseline game back to a venue where he has enjoyed notable success.
The 2026 line-up is further strengthened by world No. 10 Alexander Bublik, the 2024 Dubai finalist known for his flair and unpredictability, and British No. 1 Jack Draper, ranked world No. 11, who continued his rise with a breakthrough Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells last season. Also confirmed is world No. 17 Karen Khachanov, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medalist, who enjoyed a strong 2025 and a runner-up finish at the National Bank Open in Toronto.
“We are thrilled with the strength and depth of the ATP 500 field confirmed for 2026,” said Ramesh Cidambi, managing director of Dubai Duty Free and chairman of the tournament’s organizing committee. “With Stefanos returning as defending champion, Felix coming off an exceptional season, and former champions like Daniil and Andrey in the mix, fans can expect outstanding tennis across both weeks.”
Tournament director Salah Tahlak said the event continued to be a benchmark on the men’s tour: “Year after year, the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships showcase an exceptional standard of tennis. With this caliber of players already confirmed, we are confident the 2026 ATP 500 will deliver another memorable week for fans in Dubai and audiences worldwide.”
The championships will again be staged back-to-back, with the women’s WTA 1000 tournament taking place from Feb. 15–21 followed by the men’s ATP 500 event. The women’s draw is set to feature many of the sport’s biggest names, including defending champion Mirra Andreeva, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, six-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiątek and world No. 3 Coco Gauff.
Tickets for both tournaments are now on sale via both ticketmaster.ae and the official tournament website. Prices start from 65 UAE dirhams.
The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships is owned and organized by Dubai Duty Free and held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai.
