"Clear no" - demands from Novak Djokovic rejected
Novak Djokovic had campaigned for a shortening of the quarantine time - without success.
by Florian Goosmann
last edit: Jan 18, 2021, 10:44 am
A shorter quarantine period for isolated players, visits from coaches and physios, players being moved to private accommodations with a tennis court nearby - these were, among other things, the points that world number one Novak Djokovic presented to Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley should have. The reason for this: Several passengers on airplanes in which tennis professionals had traveled to the Australian Open had produced positive COVID-19 tests, and the players were then put in a complete hotel quarantine without the planned five hours of exit per day to train and Getting fit in Melbourne Park.
72 players are currently affected, there are also rumors about a positive test in the Adelaide group, where the respective top 3 in the world and Serena Williams are stationed, among other things because they are supposed to play a show fight after successful quarantine.
Djokovic's demand for the players concerned has now been clearly rejected. "The rules will not change," Victoria's Prime Minister Daniel Andrews told Australian media . "People are free to make lists of demands, but the answer is no."
Andrews: "Virus doesn't treat anyone separately, so neither do we"
The regulations would also affect everyone else, and you were told what you were getting into. "It was the conditions under which they came here." There are no special treatments, "because the virus doesn't treat anyone separately, so we don't do that either."
The person responsible for the "COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria" department, Emma Cassar, also made it clear with regard to Djokovic's demands for a face-to-face meeting between players and coaches and training in private accommodation: "Certainly not."
An early release from quarantine, should the upcoming tests turn out negative, is also not an option. "That is also a no. We will not change the procedure."