Australian Open: "Djokovic's Egg" and other puzzles
The decision on whether Novak Djokovic can participate in the Australian Open 2022 will probably not be made until tomorrow. The excitement about the industry leader also bothers colleagues.
by Jörg Allmeroth
last edit: Jan 12, 2022, 12:00 pm
On Wednesday Novak Djokovic had an unusual appointment again. The man, about whom the whole world is puzzling, took a limousine from the Australian Open driver service to a special clinic facility - outside in one of the southern suburbs of Melbourne. As a user of the rather extravagant service there, Djokovic is by no means unknown, for years he has sworn by the stimulating effect of pressure chambers that are supposed to simulate mountain air. The oval miracle is even called “Djokovic's egg”, but the legendary, non-forbidden oxygen therapy (HBO therapy) behind it has long been branded as a “violation of the spirit of sport”.
Djokovic is known for exploring all possible limits in order to advance in his sporting ambitions. At the moment, the 34-year-old Serb seems to be trying to somehow make up for the training deficits of the last turbulent days with the forced stay in a deportation hotel. Over the past 48 hours he has been spotted doing sweaty practice sessions on the courts of the National Tennis Center or in fitness rooms, and the nine-time Melbourne champion is, as one observer explained, with "holy zeal".
Clarity only on Thursday
But whether there will be a tenth title mission and spectacular center court duels with the Serbian national hero from next Monday is far from being decided. Djokovic must continue to expect a quick deportation in the drama about his residence permit Down Under, it should not be clear until Thursday whether Australia's immigration minister Alex Hawke will make use of his executive powers and Djokovic will withdraw his visa again. Or whether the government dares to let the prominent vaccine refuser in the country despite all the aversions on the fifth continent.
Less than a week after the memorable start to the affair at Tullamarina Airport, the controversial Djokovic reported for the first time in more detail with a statement. If the world's best tennis player had believed, however, that they could even come close to creating clarity and dispel the omnipresent doubts, it was a gigantic misjudgment. As a reminder: Djokovic was concerned about having contracted the corona virus while attending a basketball game in Belgrade, and carried out a PCR test on December 16. According to the documentation that he presented to the border officials at the airport on his later entry, a positive result was obtained that evening at 8:19 p.m. Now Djokovic states that he only received the extremely important result on December 17th - after he had made several public appearances, including with tennis children in his own tennis center. Even if one followed his reasoning, the question arose: why did Djokovic not exercise categorical caution and remain in isolation before learning of his test result?
Djokovic admits mistakes
However, Djokovic also admits serious mistakes in his statement. The fact that he attended a press appointment with the French specialist journal “L'Equipe” on December 18 was a “misjudgment”: “I should have postponed this obligation.” He just “did not want to disappoint” the journalists, according to Djokovic. Another statement by Djokovic, which deals with the incorrect information in his immigration documents that he had not traveled to Melbourne in the 14 days before the start, does not sound very convincing. The misstatement was a "human error" made by his agent, Djokovic said. The 20-time Grand Slam winner was known to have been training in Marbella around the turn of the year.
Meanwhile, Djokovic's PCR test itself fell into twilight. According to research by the news magazine “Der Spiegel”, digital traces indicated that the test was not carried out until December 26th. Which could also explain the amazing fact that Djokovic presented a certificate in his entry documentation, according to which he had already tested negative again on December 22nd. IT experts who looked at the test results voiced suspicion of manipulation: "In any case, something seems to be wrong here."
Meanwhile, tennis professionals described the atmosphere in the “National Tennis Center”, the venue for the Australian Open, as “tense”: “Many are annoyed by the extent of the Djokovic affair. Nobody talks about tennis. ”For Djokovic's competitors, the situation is all the more annoying since 97 percent of male players are now vaccinated against the corona virus. Maybe the Hungarian Marton Fucsovics, one of the newcomers of the preseason, brought the mood to the point when he said that in his opinion Djokovic does not belong as a participant "in this place, in this tournament." Australian media quoted a new poll as to what almost half of the population is in favor of Djokovic's immediate deportation. About 30 percent do not care about the government’s further action.
lavercup