World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who has never communicated on his vaccination status, announced on social media Tuesday that he was leaving for Australia thanks to a “waiver” which will allow him to play the Open d ‘ Australia, which runs from January 17 to 30. The Australian Tennis Federation (TA), organizer of the tournament, confirmed that a “medical exemption” had been granted to him.
“Djokovic requested a medical exemption which was granted to him after a rigorous examination (of his request) involving two different and independent groups of medical experts”, indicates TA in a press release published a few minutes after the announcement of Djokovic’s departure for Australia.
“I am ready to live and breathe tennis in the weeks to come of competition. Thank you all for your support! Go 2022, ”the Serbian wrote on his Instagram page. “I had a great time with those I love during the holidays and today, I’m leaving for Down Under (Australia) thanks to a waiver,” he says.
He couldn’t miss his fetish tournament
The Australian federation is hiding behind medical secrecy so as not to reveal the reasons for the granting of this exemption to the world No. 1, who will seek a record 21st Grand Slam title and a 10th coronation, also a record, in Melbourne. “Fair and independent protocols have been put in place to assess requests for medical exemptions in order to ensure a safe and enjoyable 2022 Australian Open for everyone,” said only its president in the press release.
For months, Djokovic has left doubt, because of the obligation for players to be vaccinated to enter Australia, on his participation in the first round of the Grand Slam 2022. However, the Australian Open is his fetish tournament : It is in Melbourne that the 35-year-old Serb won his first Grand Slam title (2008), and no one has won there as much as him (nine victories).
Not “for vaccines”
“I don’t know if I’m going to go to Australia, I don’t know what’s going on. The situation is currently not good, ”he declared to the Serbian daily Blic in October 2021, refusing to say whether he was vaccinated or not. “It’s a private matter”. After new evasive statements about his coming to Australia, his unjustified withdrawal for the ATP Cup had further thickened the doubt about his participation in the Australian Open.
The world No. 1 spoke in April 2020 against compulsory vaccination, then considered to allow the resumption of tournaments. “Personally, I am not for vaccines. I would not like someone to force me to be vaccinated to travel, ”he said at the time.
The Serbian was criticized a few weeks later for having organized in early June 2020 in the Balkans the Adria Tour, a traveling charity tournament in defiance of any health precaution (full stadium without wearing a mask, hugs between players on the court, communal dinners and nightclub outings). At the end of the tournament, Djokovic had tested positive for Covid-19, just like his compatriot Viktor Troicki, the Croatian Borna Coric and the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov. “I am deeply sorry that our tournament could have caused such damage”, apologized Djokovic at the time. “We were wrong, it was too early” to organize such a tournament, he admitted.