Novak Djokovic is stuck at the airport: the decision is near
TheNovak Djokovic case is developing more and more into a thriller. Due to problems with his exemption, the world number one spent the night from Wednesday to Thursday (local time) at Melbourner Airport. A final decision is expected late Wednesday evening (CET).
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit: Jan 05, 2022, 09:21 pm
The possible start of Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open 2022 has long since become a political issue. Australian Prime Minister Scott had already questioned the basis for the medical exemption even before the arrival of the Serbs: "If this evidence is insufficient, then he will be treated no differently from everyone else and will be on the next plane home."
Apparently this measure is now being discussed in Melbourne, as Djokovic has been stuck at the airport for hours since his arrival at 11:30 p.m. (local time). As reported by the Australian newspaper "The Age" , he was questioned by officers from the Australian Border Guard in a room until at least 5:30 am (local time). According to the article, it is likely that Djokovic cited an infection with the coronavirus in the past six months as the reason for the medical exemption.
An anonymous source told "The Age" that it was not clear whether this reason was sufficient under federal guidelines for entry into Australia. The Australian health department had recently declared a corona infection in the past six months as a sufficient condition for an exemption.
Incomprehension in Serbia
Nevertheless, the chances of Djokovic's entry seem to be dwindling. "The longer it takes, the less likely he is to be let in," a source told The Age journalist Paul Sakkal.
The approach in Serbia meets with little understanding. "If they don't let him go in half an hour, we'll gather in the street," Djokoviv's father Srdjan told Sputnik Serbia . As the newspaper "Blic" reported, Serbia even submitted a diplomatic protest note against Australia. The reason for this is apparently the fact that Djokovic was isolated in a room and had to do without a cell phone. Only after three hours he should have got this back.
Team Djokovic, on the other hand, was a little more relaxed. "Not the usual trip down under," said coach Goran Ivanisevic via Instagram. The wait is likely to come to an end soon: As the journalist Saša Ozmo reported, the decision about Djokovic's entry will be made between 9:30 and 10:00 a.m. local time - i.e. between 11:30 p.m. and midnight Central European time.