The soap opera Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open has just found its conclusion, and it will hardly appeal to the champion or his fans. After several days of uncertainty around his participation in the tournament, the answer has fallen: Djokovic will not be in the game.
Australia and Novak Djokovic will undoubtedly leave angry. For two weeks, tennis fans have been following the many twists and turns in the match between the Serbian champion and Australian justice. Novak Djokovic who has always left an artistic blur around his vaccination status had revealed on January 4 to have obtained an exceptional exemption to participate in the Australian Open tournament. A decision badly accepted in the population, the Australians having indeed endured for almost two years restrictions to fight against the epidemic of SARS-CoV-2 among the strictest in the world.
A derogation which had made the Australian Prime Minister and many observers jump. One law for the citizen, another for Djokovic? For two weeks between the courts, the star, and the Australian government a match ensued in which it became difficult to count the points. Visa canceled, then reinstated, revelations about a lie from the tennis star on his visa application, a short tour of a detention center… The world number 1’s horizon was darkening, and criticism from his peers was being made more and more audible. Rafael Nadal and Stéfanos Tsitsipás notably expressed their exasperation.
Deprived of Australia for at least three years?
A dramatic turn of events on January 14, when the player’s visa was again in the pipeline, the Australian Immigration Minister, Alex Hawke, who had threatened to use his discretionary power to cancel the world number one’s visa. tennis, finally took action. While admitting the risk of the star infecting Australians himself was “negligible”, the politician argued that his “contempt” past for health rules against Covid-19 was a bad example, “promotes anti-vaccination sentiment” and “triggers an upsurge in civil unrest“.
Australian justice through three judges has upheld the cancellation of the Serbian player’s visa this Sunday, January 16. They thus have unanimously rejected – and at the player’s expense – Djokovic’s appeal. The player’s legal team decided to throw in the towel. Jelena’s husband will therefore be expelled from the country and miss the Australian Open, of which he is the defending champion. But that’s not all, Djoko – as his fans call him – also faces a three-year ban on staying in Australia. This penalty is automatic after an expulsion except for compelling reasons. There is no doubt that this sentence for the champion could have serious consequences on his career. A setback he is not about to forget.