Djokovic Has to Comply With Rules to Go to Spain, Prime Minister Says

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez speaks during a joint news conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (not pictured) at Moncloa Palace in Madrid, Spain, on Jan. 17, 2022. (Susana Vera/Reuters）

MADRID—World men’s tennis No. 1 Novak Djokovic will have to comply with Spanish health rules to be able to travel to Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Monday.

Answering a question on whether Djokovic would be allowed to enter Spain to compete after Australia deported him for being unvaccinated against COVID-19, Sanchez said: “Any sportsperson who wishes to compete in our country must comply with the health rules of Spain.”

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who was visiting Spain on Monday and stood beside Sanchez during the news conference, also insisted the different rules in the different countries must be respected. “We all have to abide by them, no matter who we are,” he said.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a forehand during a practice session ahead of the 2022 Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, on Jan. 14, 2022. Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Djokovic travels regularly to Spain where he owns a house in the southern resort of Marbella. He spent a few days in late December and early January and video footage showed him training there.

Spanish rules currently require people to have either a vaccine certificate, a PCR negative test or a certificate of having recovered from COVID-19. The country imposes strict quarantines on people who test positive.