Novak Djokovic and the Australian Open: Allegedly no vaccination exception applied for
According to statements from Australia, Novak Djokovic has not yet applied for an exemption from a vaccination to enter Australia. Allegedly, Tennis Australia also wants to enforce its own specifications.
by Florian Goosmann
last edit: Dec 09, 2021, 01:00 pm
Novak Djokovic remains the hot topic in Australia when it comes to the upcoming Australian Open.
As recently announced, Djokovic is on the entry list for the first major tournament of the new year (January 17th to 30th, 2022), as well as for the previous ATP Cup (from January 1st). So that means: Djokovic would have to be vaccinated (at least twice) in order to participate or even to enter Australia - or to receive an exemption for a vaccination due to health reasons. This is not the case, it was said at last. Now the TV show 9 News reports that Djokovic has not applied for such an "exemption" either: a "medically approved federal government exemption", i.e. a state exemption (if a legitimate reason, such as an illness, speaks against a vaccination).
Djokovic participation: what role does tennis Australia play?
In general, everyone who is in Melbourne Park must be double vaccinated - for reasons of fairness to others and "out of respect for so many people from Victoria," said Daniel Andrews , the prime minister of the state (in which Melbourne is located).
He also announced that Tennis Australia would start its own assessment process if the said waiver was granted. That would mean: Even if Djokovic were to receive an official special permit from the state, Tennis Australia could still veto. "Tennis Australia plays an (important) role in protecting the integrity of the agreements."
The separate possibility of checking on the part of Tennis Australia regarding possible exceptions is surprising: tournament boss Craig Tiley is after all a marketing professional who does everything to promote his tournament. Only recently was there even talk of a possible participation by Roger Federer , which was completely unfounded. Federer himself denied these rumors shortly afterwards .
Also this year, Tennis Australia, headed by AO tournament director Craig Tiley, did everything possible to pull off the Australian Open, despite the corona pandemic, despite the fact that thousands of Australians have not yet been allowed to return to their homeland. A 14-day quarantine was required for this, but the top players around Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams enjoyed various advantages, such as another hotel with larger rooms and a fitness area. Which had caused displeasure among some other actors in terms of equal opportunities for everyone.
Tournament director Craig Tiley told ABC: "Nobody can play the Australian Open unless they are vaccinated - either a double dose of the intended substance or a single dose of Johnson & Johnson, which is a legal vaccine." Tiley also pointed out the possibility of an exception. "Ultimately, there is an independent panel of professionals, medical specialists, and they see a blind copy of the medical exemption application. That goes to the panel of experts, which then makes the decision."