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After being expelled from Australia, Novak Djokovic now threatens to miss important tournaments in other countries as well. Only vaccinated players should now be admitted to the French Open.
One day before the start of the Australian Open, Novak Djokovic failed to appeal against the cancellation of the visa. A look back at the legal impasse:
AFP
The deadline for applying for an exemption to participate in the Australian Open is ending – for players who have not been vaccinated against the corona virus. Only fully vaccinated people are allowed to start.
AFP
Novak Djokovic threatens to jeopardize his career after the disaster in Melbourne.
The 34-year-old could miss three of the four Grand Slam tournaments.
In the USA, the Serb should have great problems taking part in tournaments without being vaccinated.
Australia could impose a three-year entry ban on the tennis superstar.
Only vaccinated players should be admitted to the French Open this year.
It has been clear since Sunday: Novak Djokovic remains canceled in Australia, he is not allowed to take part in the Australian Open. The inglorious events Down Under cause huge PR damage for the Serbian tennis superstar and could also have a lasting impact on his career.
According to the validity of his entry ban, Djokovic should no longer be allowed to enter Australia for three whole years. Home Secretary Karen Andrews confirmed this in an interview with the Today Show. “His visa has been cancelled. This was upheld by the federal court, so he will be banned from entering the country for three years.”
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, on the other hand, gave Djokovic hopes of returning to the country in an interview with Australian radio station 2GB on Monday – maybe as early as next year. “The entry ban is for a three-year period, but there is an opportunity for Djokovic to come back under the right circumstances,” said Morrisson, who added that he would then deal with the issue again in due course.
Probably only vaccinated players at the French Open at the start
The fact that the Serb will now compete in the next Grand Slam tournament in Roland Garros also seems hopeless without vaccination. Because: On Monday morning, the AFP news agency announced that, according to government sources, only vaccinated athletes are allowed to take part in professional sports events in France. 10 days earlier, the French Minister of Sport Maracineanu had announced that Djokovic would be allowed to compete in Paris without a vaccination.
In France, too, the measures for unvaccinated people are currently being tightened further. Just a few days ago, the French parliament decided to introduce a new corona vaccination certificate with a law that stipulates that unvaccinated people over the age of 16 should no longer have access to stadiums in the future. President Emmanuel Macron also announced that he wanted to make life difficult for the unvaccinated.
Hardly any chances of tournament participation in the USA for the unvaccinated
It could also be difficult for “Nole” to get an extra sausage at the fourth Grand Slam event of the year. At the US Open in New York last year, unvaccinated players were still allowed, but back then only spectators who had received at least one vaccination dose were admitted.
This year it is likely to be as difficult for players without vaccination in the USA as it is in Australia to get a starting permit. Currently, only fully vaccinated non-US citizens are allowed to enter the United States. In addition to the US Open in autumn, Djokovic is also threatening to miss the big ATP tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami in spring.
Missed chance for Grand Slam record
The world number one left Melbourne on Sunday evening after Australia’s federal court rejected his appeal against the visa annulment. His hopes for the tenth title at the Australian Open ended one day before the tournament started.
No other tennis player has won the Melbourne Major more often than Djokovic with nine titles. If the Serb had been allowed to compete this year, there would have been a good chance that with his tenth triumph he would have overtaken his eternal rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in terms of the number of Grand Slam titles (21 titles). Nadal, for his part, could now become the sole leader in the Grand Slam ranking in Melbourne and will also traditionally be the top favorite at the next major tournament in May in Paris, where he could pull ahead of Federer and Djokovic.
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