To announce the news on Tuesday, on his networks, Novak Djokovic posted a photo on the tarmac of an airport (in Australia? In Serbia? Elsewhere? We do not know). Here it is: after weeks of procrastination on his participation in the Australian Open, the black angel of world tennis informs that he has an exemption allowing him to access, he who has never disclosed his vaccine status , at the Melbourne courts.
It took twenty-four hours, and a big controversy, to arrive at this terrible blow for the record holder of titles of the Australian major (nine): the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, has just ordered him to provide proof of this derogation. medical, or it will still end up on a tarmac: “We are waiting for his presentation and for him to provide us with evidence to support [cette dérogation]. If this evidence is insufficient, then he will not be treated any differently from anyone else, and he will return home on the first plane. There will be no special rule for Novak Djokovic. Not the least. ”
And that’s not all. The Serbian’s Australian trip might well come to an end before it even begins. Barely arrived at Melbourne airport on Wednesday, Novak Djokovic found himself blocked by local authorities. The Australian press reports that the player would not have completed the correct form to apply for a visa. Big problem: the visa he requested does not authorize a medical exemption. “ Mr Djokovic did not provide the correct information to enter Australia and his visa was therefore canceled. Foreign nationals who do not have a valid visa or whose visa has been canceled will be detained and deported from Australia ”customs said. The Serb has appealed and his request is due to be considered this Thursday morning.
“Not for vaccines”
Earlier, Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley, also director of the first Grand Slam of the year, urged Djokovic to reveal “The conditions under which he requested and obtained an exemption. I encourage him to talk to the community about this… We have been going through a very difficult time over the past couple of years and I would appreciate some responses to that. ”
The Australian tennis boss, however, said that the world number 1 had not received any preferential treatment to obtain this exemption, during a process supervised by the Australian authorities and those of the State of Victoria. A total of 26 players or members of their staff, out of the 3,000 expected in Australia, have requested an exemption and only a few of them have obtained it, he revealed. According to Craig Tiley, the two commissions responsible for examining exemption requests do so without knowing the identity of the applicants.
Already winner of 20 Grand Slams, like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic is aiming for a record 21st title in Melbourne, his favorite tournament. For months, “Nole” had cast doubt on his participation in the first Grand Slam of the year, due to the obligation for players to be vaccinated against Covid-19 to enter Australia.
The Serbian had spoken in April 2020 against compulsory vaccination, then considered to allow the resumption of tournaments: “Personally, I am not for vaccines. I wouldn’t want someone forcing me to get vaccinated to travel. ” He finally announced Tuesday that he had obtained a medical exemption allowing him to make the trip. Australian regulations provide for this type of exemption in five specific cases (having contracted Covid-19 in the previous six months, serious medical contraindication, etc.) but the federation, citing medical confidentiality, refused to say which applied to Djokovic.
“Spit in the face”
This decision sparked an uproar in Australia, where the measures put in place to fight Covid-19 have been particularly strict since the start of the pandemic. This is a “Spitting in the face of every inhabitant of the state of Victoria and every Australian”, writes former tennis player Sam Groth, now a television commentator, in a column published by the daily Herald sun from Melbourne. “I believe that if it was me who was not vaccinated, I would not have obtained an exemption”, British doubles player Jamie Murray, brother of Andy, who is currently competing in the ATP Cup in Sydney, complained.
Update : updated this Thursday at 7.20 am with the appeal filed by Novak Djokovic.