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After nine titles in seventeen editions, it is hard to imagine an Australian Open without Novak Djokovic. The world’s number one tennis player has never won a tournament as often as the grand slam tournament in Melbourne. “I love you more every year,” he told the audience last year after beating Daniil Medvedev in a one-sided final.
It takes a small miracle for Djokovic to be able to compete in this year’s tournament. Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke decided on Friday to revoke his visa after a judge had previously correctly ruled that he had rightly been granted a medical exemption from the Australian Tennis Association. In a statement, Hawke said he acted on “grounds of health and good order”.
A digital hearing followed a few hours later – part of the appeal, after a bizarre week the tennis player’s last chance to stay in Australia. Djokovics’ lawyers argued that the minister had made an “irrational” decision, fearing what they call anti-vaccination sentiment. It is unclear how strong they are, but if the tennis player is proven wrong, he could be subject to a three-year travel ban. From Saturday morning Australian time, Djokovic is no longer allowed to move freely. He only gets permission to prepare for his case in the law firm.
In recent days, more and more indications have emerged that the Serb has flouted the corona rules. His entry forms state that he did not travel in the fourteen days before leaving for Melbourne. But social media shows that he posed with a handball player in Belgrade at Christmas and trained a few days later on a track in Marbella, Spain.
Also read: Australia’s reputation has been greatly tarnished by this issue, writes our correspondent
A “human error” on the part of his escorts, Djokovic explained the erroneous information. “Certainly not intentionally.” But under Australian law, only whoever enters the country is responsible. They must use a ‘login ID’, ‘password’ and pin code in the Australian Travel Declaration app.
On December 18, two days after his positive corona test, Djokovic gave an interview to the French newspaper L’Equipe. Journalist Franck Ramella stated on Wednesday that he was instructed not to ask questions about vaccinations prior to the conversation – with knowledge of now a salient detail. Giving an interview while he was infected now qualifies the tennis player as “an error of judgment”. He says he did not want to disappoint the journalist and points out that he wore a mouth mask during the conversation.
And then there was the message of the mirror that the test result of Djokovic would have been manipulated. Investigative journalists from the German newspaper scanned its QR code. They found a number of irregularities. On a first scan the test had a negative result, on a second positive. What exactly that means leaves the newspaper in the middle, but fishy it was.
Leaked video
In addition to support from Serbian quarters – including from his father Srdjan and Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic – Djokovic received a lot of criticism. The International Tennis Writers Association (ITWA), an advocate for journalists, expressed shock at the turn of events surrounding the interview with L’Equipe. “We follow the rules with care and expect the same from the players,” it said in a statement. The journalist of the French newspaper tested negative after the interview, but what remains is the image that Djokovic does not care about the well-being of others. The world revolves around ‘Nole’ and he leaves no stone unturned to achieve his goals. Just as he didn’t think twice at the 2020 US Open when, out of frustration when hitting a ball, he hit a linesman under the face – an action that resulted in him being disqualified.
Meanwhile, anger in Australia – a country that is burdened by very strict corona measures – has grown over the judge’s ruling and the revelations about Djokovic’s behavior in the weeks before his departure to Melbourne. A video leaked in which two Australian TV presenters taunt Djokovic. Mike Amor and Rebecca Maddern were unaware that the camera was still rolling after they parted ways with the viewer. Maddern called Djokovic “a lying conniving bastard.” Amor expressed the expectation that the Serb would get away with his “bullshit excuse”.
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Also read: columnist Luuk van Middelaar on the Djokovic . issue. ‘He mixes antivax, New Age and nationalism’
But even if he gets away with it, says tennis commentator Marcella Mesker, the reputational damage is still great. This affair will haunt Djokovic “well into his career”, she thinks, and that hinders the 34-year-old tennis player from his freedom to play and go for his record: 21 grand slam titles, one more than great rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. “Number 1 ranking in the making,” she tweeted.
According to Bart Maussen, mental coach and reputation strategist for several top athletes, Djokovic should have been honest from the start, and not wait for Minister Hawke’s decision. “Honesty about mistakes earns sympathy,” he says. “By leaving the country himself, he had proved himself a good loser. Now his goodness is crumbling.”
Maussen was surprised, among other things, about Djokovics’ father, who said that the Australians called his son ‘just like Jesus’ [probeerden] to crucify.” Maussen: „Does that man ever get one? reality check?”
Head in the sand
Most other tennis players chose their words carefully in recent days when asked for their opinion on ‘visa gate’. Only Stefanos Tsitsipas showed himself against Eurosport critical. “A small number of people follow their own rules, which makes the rest of us look like a fool. We knew what protocols and rules would apply in Melbourne. It is risky to go against the rules like that and risk participating in a grand slam tournament.”
The ATP, the interest group for male tennis players, kept a low profile. Unlike sister organization WTA, which took a firm stance after the disappearance of Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, the ATP released a multi-interpretable statement earlier this week. The union “respects the sacrifices of Australians during the pandemic”, but was also happy that Djokovic was allowed to stay off the court and looked forward to “an exciting few weeks of tennis”.
The question is how other major tournaments will deal with players who don’t want to be vaccinated. Few tennis players haven’t been able to get a shot – three out of the top 100, according to the ATP – but if Djokovic’s story proves one thing, it’s that clarity about vaccination rules can prevent many problems.
According to the French sports minister, Roxana Maracineanu, Djokovic can ‘just’ participate in Roland Garros in May, because although unvaccinated in France will have to deal with stricter rules from this Saturday, there is no entry ban for unvaccinated. “The protocols and the health bubble allow it,” Maracineanu said on French radio.
In the United States, where the Indian Wells and Miami tournaments are scheduled in March, strict rules apply to visitors. Anyone wishing to enter the country by air must be fully vaccinated, unless they are US citizens or people who reside permanently in the country on another basis. Exceptions are rarely made.
According to Mesker, Hawke’s decision, however limiting it may be, will inspire the global number one to fight even harder for his 21st Grand Slam title. He will want revenge, she says, not only because he feels humiliated, but also because for years it has bothered him that he is less popular than his rivals Nadal and Federer. Mesker: „I will never forget how emotional he reacted after his lost final against Medvedev at the US Open last year. The audience was – for the first time – on his side and that touched him deeply. “I’m the luckiest man on earth,” he said.
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