The situation of Novak Djokovic continues to fuel the debates. While the Serbian was stranded at the airport on his arrival in Melbourne, to participate in the Australian Open (January 17-30), Rafael Nadal, already present there, expressed no compassion to the regard to the world No. 1.
“On the one hand, I’m sorry for him. But at the same time, he had known the conditions for many months when he made his decision, ”said the Spaniard on the sidelines of the Melbourne tournament, preparatory to the first Grand Slam of the season. Before putting Djokovic in front of his responsibilities. “He made his own decisions, and everyone is free to make their own decisions, but then there are consequences,” said Rafael Nadal.
The Mallorcan also spoke of his personal situation, he who was contaminated in December by the virus. “I contracted the Covid, I was vaccinated twice. If you (get vaccinated) you have no problem playing here (in Australia). This is the only thing that is clear, ”he declared, while Novak Djokovic never spoke about his vaccination status.
For several weeks, the Serbian had left doubts about his presence in Australia. But, on Tuesday, on social networks, he announced that he had obtained a medical exemption before taking the plane to Melbourne. On his arrival in Tullmarine, however, he was blocked by local authorities due to a visa problem that did not present “the appropriate elements to be able to enter” the country. Urged to leave Australia, Djokovic has taken legal action against the cancellation of his visa and a hearing is scheduled for Monday.
This should not relieve the tension in the coming days around the world No. 1, which has sparked a heated debate within the government and the population since the announcement of his exemption. “It’s normal that people here are very frustrated by the Djokovic case because they have gone through a lot of very difficult quarantines, and a lot of people have not been able to return home,” said Rafael Nadal, whose rivalry with Novak Djokovic should only be reinforced after these remarks.