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And this Sydneysider knows what tough is.

Vukic grinded away in some of the world’s most obscure – and sometimes dangerous – locations to give himself a shot at the kinds of breakthroughs he’s achieved in the past 24 months.

Now 25, he is at a career-best ranking of No.156, having spent nine-straight months on the road after playing in the Australian Open main draw for the first time.

A purple patch across his last seven tournaments propelled him to his new ranking after he also went within one win of qualifying for the French Open in consecutive years.

The last of them was an ATP Challenger event in Champaign, Illinois, where Vukic played college tennis and was a three-time All-American.

He lost a second final in three weeks to American nemesis Stefan Kozlov, but it still qualified as one of the highlights of his year.

“You don’t get too many of those moments and even though I lost, it felt awesome,” Vukic told News Corp.

“There were probably five or six guys who played with me that were there, then some of the people from the community and a few of the coaches as well.

“That’s the feeling I’ll hopefully get here (in Australia) as well.”

There were extra challenges beyond Vukic having to be away for so long because of Covid-19-related border restrictions.

There was his freak injury in April while sightseeing in Italy – a back-related hamstring issue sustained while running towards stairs – then he contracted Covid in August and was ruled out of the US Open.

So while Vukic deliberately picked nicer places to play in this year, the longing for home was ever-present.

“When you’re travelling to these random places, everyone has goals to try to crack a certain ranking and you’re doing it for a purpose,” he said.

“But you also know that if you grind for a little bit, you can come home for two weeks to reset.

“It was more the unknown this year of not being able to come back that made it tough.”

Vukic is the second-highest-ranked Australian man outside the top 100 and in prime position to score a wildcard into next month’s Australian Open.

But while four Australian women have already secured a wildcard, Vukic and co. are still waiting on the men’s side.

“From what I’ve heard, they’re waiting until after the first week (of tournaments),” he said.

“The more exposure you get to these top events and top guys (the better). I have as much chance as anyone who can get a wildcard to do well.

“I’m obviously there for the experience, but I’m also trying to make the most of it.”

Players must be fully vaccinated to compete in the year’s first grand slam and there have been questions asked about whether Djokovic — who has made anti-vaccination comments in the past — would agree to that condition or skip the tournament altogether.

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Speaking to K1 Televizija on Serbian TV this week, the tennis champion’s father again raised the possibility his son may not be vaccinated and might pass on his chance win his 21st major — which would see him go one clear at the top of the list for most grand slam trophies claimed by a male player.

“They have to decide whether they will let Novak in,” Srdjan Djokovic reportedly said. “If they decide (to not let Novak play), they have the stand behind their decision.

“He has won the Australian Open nine times, he now wants to play — but they have to permit him to play.

“Novak will do what he thinks is the best for him, nobody will impose an opinion on him.

“What to do if he ends up not going (to the Australian Open)? We will wait for Roland Garros and his (21st) grand slam title.

“He will win a few more grand slam titles until he retires. I think four or five (more).

“He will win at least twice in Wimbledon and some other slams for sure.

“Do you doubt that? You don’t need to be an expert, but Novak will play for another two to three years and this will be enough.”

Djokovic has made no secret of his desire to surpass Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to take the outright lead on the list of men’s grand slam champions, and he’d have a great chance to do so in Melbourne — where he has won the trophy nine times.

Australian Open director Craig Tiley said on Wednesday a “small percentage” of unvaccinated players and staff will be granted medical exemptions to perform their duties at Melbourne Park.

Tiley also said no players have told Tennis Australian they have an exemption.

“Everyone who is coming in is vaccinated and there will be a small percentage – a very small percentage – that will have a medical exemption,” Tiley said.

“So if any player, fan (or) workforce is on site here – you’re either vaccinated or you have a medical exemption that’s approved and you’re on the Australian Immunisation Register.

“That provides us with safety and an extra level of comfort on site.”

Tiley said he spoke to Djokovic on the weekend, revealing the Serbian wants to play — but the tennis boss still does not know his vaccination status.

“If Novak shows up at the Australian Open, he’ll either be vaccinated or he’ll have a medical exemption,” Tiley said.

“(It’s) his choice on his medical condition, it’s his choice to keep personal and private like all of us would do with any condition we may or may not have.

“We are not going to force him or ask him to disclose that.”

Any suggestion Djokovic could remain unvaccinated and still play were hosed down by Tiley earlier this month, as he addressed concerns the world No. 1 could exploit a “loophole” to compete.

“To be clear up front, no one can play the Australian Open unless they are vaccinated, on either a double dose of all the required vaccines or a single dose of Johnson & Johnson, which also is an approved vaccine,” Tiley told the ABC.

“The only condition at which, outside of being vaccinated, that you could compete is if you receive a medically approved exemption from Australian authorities, specifically against the very specific ATAGI (Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation) guidelines.

“It’s very clear – there’s no loophole – and there’s no condition of which you can play the Australian Open unless you meet that criteria.”

An independent panel of medical specialists assesses all medical exemption requests, and Tiley said they didn’t know the identity of anyone who applied.

“It’s very specific as to what is eligible or not, and then that goes through to that expert panel and they’ll make a call, so at this point it’s in the process of being established,” he said.

Also in December, Victorian Deputy Premier and Education Minister James Merlino shot down Djokovic’s hope of playing without getting vaccinated.

“Everyone’s looking forward to the Australian Open and everyone who will attend – spectators, players, officials, staff – is expected to be fully vaccinated,” Merlino said.

“Medical exemptions are just that – it’s not a loophole for privileged tennis players.

“It is a medical exemption in exceptional circumstances if you have an acute medical condition.”

Tennis Australia also released a statement on the matter a few weeks ago, declaring medical exemptions would have to follow “strict government guidelines”.

“All players, participants and staff at the Australian Open have to be vaccinated,” the statement read. “Any application for a medical exemption must follow strict government guidelines based on ATAGI clinical advice.

“This is the same process that applies to any person wanting to enter Australia.

“Any suggestion that Tennis Australia is seeking ‘loopholes’ within this process is simply untrue.

“Adjudicating on medical exemptions is the domain of independent medical experts.

“We are not in a position to influence this process and nor should we.

“The safety of everyone is always our priority as we plan for Australian Open 2022 and all lead-in events.”

With NCA NewsWire

A leaked email to WTA players claimed unvaccinated stars would be allowed to compete in next year’s grand slam after completing 14 days of hotel quarantine Down Under.

The email from the governing body of women’s tennis said fully vaccinated players won’t have to quarantine or remain in bubbles at all during the major, which is scheduled to take place in Melbourne in January.

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Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said earlier this week if everyone else at Melbourne Park needs to be fully vaccinated to attend the Australian Open, then the same rules should apply to players.

“You try getting into the US … most of Europe, really, so many different parts of Asia if you haven’t been vaccinated,” Andrews told ABC radio. “Like, you’re just not getting a visa – why would that be different here?

“I don’t think it’s too much to say, if you want one of those visas and you want to come here, then you need to be double-vaxxed.

“All the people who are watching the tennis at the Australian Open, they’re going to be double-vaxxed, all the people that work there are going to be double-vaxxed. It stands to reason that if you want to get into the country to be part of that tournament, then you should be double-vaxxed as well.”

Speaking on Channel 7’s Sunrise, Morrison confirmed unvaccinated tennis players will be permitted to enter the country but must complete two weeks of quarantine.

“The same rules have to apply to everyone,” he said on Tuesday morning. “If I wasn’t double vaccinated when I got home from Glasgow, I’d be doing two weeks of quarantine in Sydney.

“The same rules apply to everyone, whether you’re a grand slam winner, a Prime Minister, a business traveller, a student, or whoever — same rules.

“There are many people who still come to Australia at the moment under particular arrangements, but if you are not vaccinated you will have to quarantine in Victoria.”

Morrison later elaborated on Channel 9’s Today: “We are going to have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, one of the lowest fatality rates from Covid and the strongest economy coming through Covid. So that says to me that our plans have worked pretty well.

“As we go forward I think we just have to be sensible and practical. We want major events in this country, a lot of jobs depends on it. We want Australia to show to the world that we are open, we’re getting on with it and our life is roaring back as we are seeing, now in New South Wales and Victoria and even here in the ACT.

“We just have to move on.”

Novak Djokovic, the top ranked male player in the world who is chasing his fourth straight Australian Open title and 10th overall, has spoken in the past of his anti-vax tendencies. He has declined to reveal whether he has been vaccinated against Covid-19, telling Serbian newspaper Blic last week that it was a “private matter”.

“Things beings as they are, I still don’t know if I will go to Melbourne,” Djokovic said.

“I will not reveal my status whether I have been vaccinated or not, it is a private matter and an inappropriate inquiry.

“Of course I want to go, Australia is my most successful grand slam tournament. I want to compete, I love this sport and I am still motivated.

“I am following the situation regarding the Australian Open … I believe there will be a lot of restrictions just like this year, but I doubt there will be too many changes.”

The 2021 Australian Open is scheduled to get underway on Monday, January 17.

Immigration Minister Alex Hawke confirmed on Wednesday morning that any sports stars hoping to compete in Australian competitions this coming summer would need to have had both doses of a TGA-approved vaccine.

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“Our health advice is that when we open the borders, everyone that comes to Australia will have to be double vaccinated,” Mr Hawke told RN Breakfast.

Mr Hawke’s blunt message comes after Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said on Tuesday he did not think unvaccinated tennis players would get a visa to enter the country. If they did, he said they would face quarantine and vaccinated players would not.

“I don’t think an unvaccinated tennis player is going to get a visa to come into this country,” he told reporters.

“If they did get a visa, they‘d probably have to quarantine for a couple of weeks when no other players will have to.

“I don’t think any other tennis player, or golfer, or Formula One driver, will even get a visa to get here.

“The vaccine doesn’t care what your tennis ranking is or how many Grand Slams you have won. Sorry, the virus does not care.

“Professional sport is part of that authorised worker list and they have to be double-dose vaccinated.”

World No. 1 Djokovic, chasing his fourth straight Australian Open title and 10th overall, has declined to reveal whether he has been vaccinated, telling Serbian newspaper Blic earlier this week that it was a “private matter”.

“Things beings as they are, I still don’t know if I will go to Melbourne,” Djokovic said.

“I will not reveal my status whether I have been vaccinated or not, it is a private matter and an inappropriate inquiry.

“Of course I want to go, Australia is my most successful grand slam tournament. I want to compete, I love this sport and I am still motivated.

“I am following the situation regarding the Australian Open … I believe there will be a lot of restrictions just like this year, but I doubt there will be too many changes.”

At the 2021 Australian Open tournament, Djokovic publicly criticised the Australian government for its mandatory two weeks quarantine.

Djokovic contracted Covid-19 last year and was widely panned for hosting a party at which other people also contracted the virus.

The 34-year-old last competed at the US Open, losing to Russian Daniil Medvedev in the final, but said he planned to compete in the Paris Masters, the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin and the Davis Cup before the end of 2021.

Victorian Sports Minister Martin Pakula last week told SEN that if he “was an ATP or WTA player, “I’d be getting vaccinated” because it would give them “the best opportunity to play in the Australian Open with the more minimal restrictions”.

British tennis star Andy Murray said he would “support” any move from the Victorian government to impose harsher quarantine restrictions on unvaccinated players arriving for the Australian Open.

“My understanding is if you’re unvaccinated, you’re still allowed to play, it’s just the rules are going to be different,” Murray told reporters after his loss at the Indian Wells tournament.

“Obviously, Australia in particular has been very, very strict over there.

“It’s not to say you can’t play. You just might have to leave a few weeks earlier than everyone else. That’s the player’s choice.

“If the local government puts that in place, then yeah, I would support that.”

With Russell Gould

In Tuesday night’s episode of Channel 7 program SAS Australia, the contestants are asked to be honest with everyone about what they’re most ashamed of. For Philippoussis, that revolved around the belief he’d let his loved ones down when he was forced off the court through injury and wasn’t making the same money he did in his prime.

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“Family’s my world. It’s my priority. My everything. I had a dream to become a professional tennis player and my family put everything on the line,” Philippoussis said. “My father had a good job in the bank business and quit because he said he wanted to help me fulfil my dreams — so he let go of his dreams and I worked very hard and I was lucky enough to fulfil my dreams.

“And the good news was that I could take care of my family so they don’t have to work again. My father or mother didn’t have to work. But I’ve gone into a tough situation with injuries where everything stopped.

“When you’re an athlete, the last thing you want to think about … They always say, ‘Save for a rainy day’. And I feel like you’re weak if you feel like you might get injured and you have to have something to back up to — that’s a sign of weakness.

“You can’t think that way because you’ve got to keep going, you’ve got to get back from injuries and you’re going to be OK.”

But no amount of wishful thinking could protect Philippoussis forever. The Wimbledon finalist and former world No. 8 hit rock bottom after his sixth knee surgery in 2009, where the emotional toll of seeing his family suffer hurt far more than any lingering physical pain as money struggles hit hard.

“I was out for a few months. I couldn’t afford much, actually. I had to ask friends just to shop for food,” Philippoussis said.

“We would always, just, for seven days in a row we’d have this cabbage pasta that ends up being one of my favourites but my mum calls it ‘poor people’s food’ because it’s so simple, it’s just cabbage with some spices and pasta.

“I felt very much ashamed because they gave their dream for me and my responsibility was to look after them. I was in a dark place and had depression. There’s no greater pain in my heart than watching my loved ones suffer because of my actions.”

Philippoussis has spoken previously in the series about his “ridiculous” lifestyle as he spent absurd amounts of cash out of boredom – just because he could. When sponsorships and tournament prizemoney were flowing during his peak, he had more coin than he knew what to do with.

He owned numerous flashy sports cars and around 15 motorbikes. Then there was the time the man who helped lead Australia to Davis Cup glory in 2003 paid $100,000 on a whim for a brand new Dodge Viper simply because he didn’t want to get a taxi home, only to sell it the very next day.

But life in 2009 was a world away from that sort of extravagance. That year, Philippoussis faced a legal battle to keep his $1.3m family home as he fell behind on mortgage repayments.

“I haven’t played tennis since 2006, and tennis is one of those sports where if you don’t play, you don’t get paid,” he told the Herald Sun at the time.

“Paying bills and no money coming in has been tough for a number of years, but everyone has to go through that.”

Pittman opens up on money struggles

Philippoussis’ fellow SAS Australia contestant, former track star Jana Pittman, also revealed the role money played in her greatest shame. The four-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist and 400m hurdles specialist – who also competed in the two-person bobsleigh at the 2014 Winter Olympics – pursued medicine after her sporting career finished and felt like she’d failed as a mother when she could no longer afford basic necessities for her kids.

“I think my most shameful moment was in my final year of medical school. I thought I’d budgeted well for my family, as a single mum of three kids to get through medical school,” Pittman said. “And then I found myself unable to pay the mortgage and unable to put food on the table for my three kids because I’d decided to chase success again.

“So I had to go, cap in hand, to my old 70-year-old parents and ask for money to survive that year. It’s fairly humiliating to think, at 30-something years old, I was almost on the street with my three kids.

“All this success – what does it mean if you can’t provide for your family? So that was pretty shameful and I’m a bit nervous to admit that to people.”

The WTA Finals, contested by the world’s top eight singles players and eight doubles teams, were moved to Guadalajara from Shenzhen in China this week due to the Covid-19 pandemic and will begin on November 8.

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Tyzzer said Barty, who won the 2019 WTA Finals before the 2020 edition was cancelled, might also compromise her 2022 Australian Open preparation if she plays in Mexico as she would have to undergo two weeks of home quarantine on her return to Australia.

The 2019 edition of the WTA Finals had a prizemoney pool of $19 million and is the richest event on the WTA calendar. Barty pocketed a cool $6.4 million for winning two years ago — the biggest cheque in tennis history for men or women.

“We only just found out it’s in Mexico at 1500 metres (above sea level) and they’re using pressure-less balls,” Tyzzer told AAP on Wednesday.

“Pressure-less balls absolutely fly. It’s a ball that, if you use it in normal conditions, it doesn’t bounce. It’s not the greatest advertisement for the best girls in the world to be playing something they’ve never done before.

“In conditions they’ve never played, in a country they don’t play and at altitude, I just feel it’s ridiculous. As a spectacle, it’s just frightening.”

Barty, who suffered a third-round exit at this month’s US Open, is “physically and mentally exhausted”, said Tyzzer.

“Indian Wells (next month) is still on the radar but she just needs a rest,” he added. “So I told her to just get away and have a holiday.

“It certainly isn’t easy for us to get there and to play that event in Mexico and then to come back and have to do two (more) weeks (in quarantine) and then your summer is sort of ruined as well.

“It’s a decision we’ll have to sit and mull over quite a bit.

“We were originally told it was Hong Kong and then we were told it was Prague and all of a sudden we hear it’s in Mexico.

“It’s almost like it’s a last-gasp. It doesn’t strike me as they’re really trying to promote the best girls in the world for the top eight as a showcase, to put it where it’s at.”

Barty has been on the road since leaving Australia in March and will no doubt look forward to coming home when she can.

She won Wimbledon in July but suffered a surprise loss to American Shelby Rogers at Flushing Meadows to end her hopes of capturing another grand slam title this year.

“It’s disappointing. A tough one to swallow,” Barty said after the match. “It sucks in tennis that there’s a winner and loser every single day.

“You can’t win every single tennis match that you play.

“I’m proud of myself and my team for all the efforts we’ve put in the last six months. It’s been pretty incredible. I don’t think we could have asked for much more honestly. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

At 39 years of age, time appears to be against Williams’ bid to equal Margaret Court’s grand slam record of 24 singles titles, having claimed her last at the 2017 Australia Open.

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And another injury means another chance going begging with Williams turning 40 on September 26.

Williams took to Instagram to reveal she had pulled out of the tournament she had won six times.

“After careful consideration and following the advice of my doctors and medical team, I have decided to withdraw from the US Open to allow my body to heal completely from a torn hamstring,” she wrote.

“New York is one of the most exciting cities in the world and one of my favourite places to play — I’ll miss seeing the fans but will be cheering everyone on from afar.

“Thank you for your continued support and love. I’ll see you soon.”

Her coach Partick Mouratoglou replied: “You have tried everything”, while the US Open account added “We’ll miss you, Serena! Get well soon.”

New York Times tennis reporter Ben Rothenberg posted on Twitter that it was the “end of an era”.

“The 2021 US Open will be the first Grand Slam event without Serena Williams, Roger Federer, or Rafael Nadal in the main singles draw since the 1997 US Open,” he wrote.

USA Today Sports columnist Dan Wolken also said that it would be a costly with Williams to forfeit 780 rankings points after a semi-final loss at Flushing Meadows last year, with the legend already ranked 22nd in the world.

“One of the big issues with Serena Williams playing so infrequently is that her ranking is highly dependent on points won at the majors. After the U.S. Open points come off, the Aussie Open semi-final from this year will be a huge chunk of her ranking that she’ll have to defend,” Wolken wrote.

It comes after former tennis star turned analyst Tim Henmen last week said that it was likely a step too far from Williams to chase down Court’s record.

Speaking before Williams withdrew from the US Open, Henman said “a big question mark is around her fitness.”

“As has been the case with (Roger) Federer, she’s not getting any younger. So, whereas I did probably have that belief at the beginning of the year, I think it’s a step too far now,” he said.

With the likes of Naomi Osaka, Aryna Sabalenka and of course Aussie Ash Barty dominating the circuit, he can’t see Williams getting over the line.

Barty is the world No. 1 by 3175 points over World No. 2 Sabalenka, having won her fifth title of the year in Cincinnati, fresh off winning Wimbledon and Olympic bronze in the mixed doubles.

“When you look at it, there’s a long list of other great female players,” Henman said. “The standard, the quality, the athletic ability of so many of them is just so high and I think the strength and depth of the women’s game is better than it’s ever been.

“You know Serena can absolutely still contend if she’s fit, but do I think she can win another Grand Slam singles title? Right now I don’t.”

The US Open starts on Monday August 30.