As the country will maintain international entry restrictions through mid-2022, it was reported that organizers were considering the possibility that the 2022 Australian Open could be re-located outside of Australia, unless it is able to attain a more flexible quarantine arrangement with the Australian government. The ATP and WTA Auckland Open were cancelled in 2021 and 2022, with organizers similarly citing New Zealand's restrictive quarantine rules as making the tournament logistically impossible. In November 2021, in compliance with requirements implemented by the State of Victoria, it was announced that all attendees and players would be required to be fully-vaccinated for COVID-19. Novak Djokovic, who was pursuing a 10th Australian Open title, became the subject of controversy prior to the tournament over his attempts to gain a medical exemption to the vaccine mandate.
