When everything pointed to Novak Djokovic playing his first tournament of the year, a situation with the vaccination records will prevent him from seeing him in action and here we summarize everything that happened at the time
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic’s hopes of winning his 10th Australian Open in 2022 were dashed after he was denied entry to Australia.. Djokovic arrived in Melbourne late on Wednesday night, just a week and a half before the first Grand Slam of the year. The 34-year-old Serbian had been granted a medical exemption from COVID-19 vaccination requirements to compete in the tournament, but on a strange day where he was detained for eight hours at the airport, he was finally denied a visa.
“Mr Djokovic’s visa has been canceled,” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison tweeted. “Rules are rules, especially when it comes to our borders. No one is above these rules.”
In an interview Thursday morning, Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt said Djokovic did not provide “adequate standards of proof” for his exemption to border officials.
For months there has been speculation about Djokovic’s status for the first Grand Slam of the year due to his alleged reluctance to receive the vaccine. He has never publicly stated whether he is vaccinated, but has repeatedly called it a “personal decision” and a “private matter.”
Finally, earlier this week he announced that he would be playing in the tournament and was heading to Australia. But after days of public criticism over the waiver decision and a night full of confusion, it is unclear whether he will immediately leave the country or attempt to appeal the ruling and serve quarantine at a nearby hotel.
So how exactly did this happen and what does this mean for Djokovic and the tournament? This is what we know so far.
Do players need to be vaccinated to participate in the Australian Open 2022?
The short answer is yes. All players, as well as everyone else on the Melbourne Park grounds, must have the full COVID-19 vaccination schedule (at least two injections in most cases) in order to participate.
One could apply for an exemption if they meet any of the guidelines suggested by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization, which includes proof of having been infected with COVID-19 in the last six months, a “serious adverse event” from a previous dose of the vaccine. or an acute serious medical condition.
Tournament director Craig Tiley said 26 people associated with the event, including Djokovic, applied for an exemption and only a “handful” were approved.
Why was Djokovic granted an exemption?
Due to privacy laws, we don’t know for sure. Djokovic tested positive for COVID-19 in June 2020, but there have been no reports that he has been infected again.
Tiley said that Djokovic received no special treatment and that each request was reviewed by two independent panels with the names redacted for privacy reasons. Tiley called it a “completely legitimate application and process.”
Djokovic had previously withdrawn from this week’s ATP Cup in Sydney, prompting speculation that he would not compete at the Australian Open. But on Tuesday he revealed on Instagram that he was heading to Australia for the tournament. “Today I am heading to Australia with a waiver permit,” he wrote.
Djokovic received tournament approval to play, so why couldn’t he get into Australia?
Tennis Australia (not the Australian government) granted an exemption to Djokovic, but the wrong type of visa was presented for entry to the border and it was not valid for an unvaccinated person. As a result, he was detained upon arriving at Melbourne airport around 11:30 pm local time on Wednesday night. According to Djokovic’s father, Srdjan, Djokovic was isolated in a room alone overnight while speaking to Australian Border Force officials.
“Novak is currently in a room that no one can enter,” Srdjan told B92 from Serbia. “There are two policemen guarding the room.”
Goran Ivanisevic, Djokovic’s coach, posted a photo in the early hours of the morning from what appeared to be the airport, alongside Djokovic’s physiotherapist, Ulises Badio. The caption read: “Not the most common trip to Australia”, with a series of emojis.
According to Paul Sakkal of The Age, Melbourne newspaper, Djokovic was asked to provide documentation to prove the reason for his exemption.
“A federal government source familiar with the episode said there were question marks as to whether Djokovic had the proper documentation to prove the reason for his exemption.“Sakkal wrote.” This evidence must be presented at the border by unvaccinated people. The source said it was unclear whether he had contracted COVID-19 in the past six months, which is suspected to be the reason for the player’s exemption, was sufficient to secure his entry into Australia under federal guidelines. “
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison also insisted that Djokovic should provide evidence.
“Any individual seeking to enter Australia must comply with our border requirements,” Morrison told a news conference.
“If you are not vaccinated, you must provide acceptable proof that you cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons … If that evidence is insufficient, then you will not be treated differently from anyone else and will be on the next plane home.”
Internal Affairs Minister Karen Andrews clarified on Wednesday that the final decision would be up to the Australian Border Force.
“While the Victorian government and Tennis Australia may allow an unvaccinated player to compete in the Australian Open, it is the Commonwealth that will enforce our requirements at the Australian border,” Andrews said. “If an arriving person is not vaccinated, they must provide acceptable proof that they cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons in order to access the same travel arrangements as fully vaccinated travelers.”
Djokovic spoke with Border Force officials at Melbourne airport for several hours while a decision was made.
Victoria Sports Minister Jaala Pulford said Border Force officials contacted the Victorian government before Djokovic’s flight arrived and asked if they would help sponsor Djokovic’s visa application but chose not to. .
Did someone from Serbia, Djokovic’s home country, get involved?
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic spoke with Djokovic on the phone while at the airport and promised to do whatever he could to help. Vucic posted a message on his Instagram account about his conversation with Nole.
“I told our Novak that [toda] Serbia is with him, and that our authorities are taking all measures to stop the harassment of the best tennis player in the world, “said Vucic.
“In accordance with all the norms of international public law, Serbia will fight for Novak [Djokovic], for justice and truth “.
Daniel Emery, Australia’s ambassador to Serbia, had reportedly been called in to help communicate with Serbian government officials in Belgrade. Officials from the Serbian embassy in Canberra also participated.
Isn’t Djokovic the “King of Melbourne” and one of the favorites of the Australian fans? Why was everyone so furious that he participated in the tournament?
Over 90% of Australia’s adult population is fully vaccinated and residents of the country have experienced strict travel restrictions for the past two years as the country has tried to contain the virus. As such, many are upset about the possibility of special treatment for a famous athlete when many within the country are still unable to travel internationally, or even in some cases, domestically.
The reaction to Djokovic’s waiver announcement was immediate and largely negative. In addition to the prime minister, several local politicians also showed their annoyance.
“How unfortunate! We’ve had 6 lockdowns: schools and small businesses closed, funerals and weddings canceled, families separated for months and now a tennis star gets an exemption. A kick in the guts for all Victorians,” wrote David Southwick in Twitter
How did other players react to the news?
Many felt the same way as the Australian public when the exemption was revealed.
“I think if I was the one who wasn’t vaccinated, I wouldn’t get an exemption,” former doubles player Jamie Murray told reporters at the ATP Cup this week. “You know, but congratulations on making it clear to come to Australia and compete.”
Other players have been more understanding of Djokovic.
“I do not understand why [Djokovic] he’s getting so much hate for his exemption, “American doubles player Nicole Melichar said in a tweet before Djokovic was denied a visa.” It’s within the rules and the government could have said no, but didn’t. ” .
Two-time Australian Open quarter-finalist Tennys Sandgren, who will not participate in the event this year due to the vaccine requirement, has repeatedly expressed his displeasure with the Australian government for its treatment of Djokovic.
“Just to be clear. Two medical boards approved his exemption. And politicians are stopping him. Australia does not deserve to host a grand slam,” he wrote.
What does this mean for the tournament?
Much! Djokovic has won more Australian Open singles titles than any other player in the Open Era, and was in search of his 10th trophy in Melbourne, as well as a record 21 Grand Slam titles. Having lost the US Open in September, Djokovic was undoubtedly eager to return to his favorite tournament.
The defending champion Djokovic was the big favorite to win the title, and his absence will certainly offer an opportunity to other players. For Daniil Medvedev, the world number 2 who beat Djokovic in New York, it will be a chance to win another major title on hard court, his favorite surface. For other young players, like Alexander Zverev or Stefanos Tsitsipas, it could be a golden opportunity for a first high-level victory.
Additionally, Rafael Nadal will play his first Grand Slam since Roland Garros (where he lost to Djokovic in the semifinals) after being sidelined by injury. Now he will be the only member of the “Big Three” in the tournament and will have the opportunity to break the coveted Grand Slam record.
Are there other tournaments or host countries that required players to be vaccinated? Will this become a problem throughout the season?
If there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that protocols and regulations are constantly changing as the virus continues to mutate and new variants emerge. However, as of this writing, there is no news about other tournaments or host countries that require players to be vaccinated. Djokovic has previously stated that he will not play as many events at this stage in his career, so we may not see him compete again until late February in Dubai or until March in Indian Wells and Miami.
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