Send home on the first plane, if he goes to court – boo. This reaction was caused in Australia by the arrival of Novak Djokovic to the Grand Slam tournament. The best tennis player on the planet obscures the reason for the rejection of vaccinations. And the Australian authorities are still holding him at the Melbourne airport and do not let him into the country. Only medical secrets are not relevant here.
The scandal erupted after seemingly harmless New Year’s greetings from the first racket of the world. Wishes, hearts and one word that exploded the situation around Djokovic – exemption. Liberation.
“Today I am flying to Australia. Drove to 2022!” – urged athlete…
He was still flying, but in Australia he was no longer welcome. The country that has survived the longest covid lockdown, where the borders between states have just opened, is not ready to admit the unvaccinated. And Djokovic turned his vaccination into a detective story: he was silent about the vaccine, why they would be allowed in without it, but he was sure of this, did not elaborate. Although he hinted in every possible way that he would play at the Grand Slam tournament: he trained in Spain with the Australian “set of balls. As if teasing.
“We all got vaccinated. And then a foreigner appears, for whom they suddenly make an exception, and he can play. It’s a shame, I won’t even look at it,” say the locals.
The situation even reached the head of the Australian government. And the prime minister promised Djokovic a poll with partiality right in airport. Regardless of the regalia.
“If he is not vaccinated, then he must provide proof that there are medical reasons for this. If they are not enough, he will go home on the first plane. There should be no special rules for Novak Djokovic,” said Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
The main intrigue was which papers the tennis star would show to the border guards. According to the laws of the state of Victoria, where the first Grand Slam tournament will be held in Melbourne, either a person who has been vaccinated against the coronavirus or who has been exempted from vaccination by doctors can enter. And the fact that Djokovic did not clarify, caused distrust, which grew into suspicion. Yes, the sports functionaries mentioned: the reason is medical.
“Anyone who qualifies for the medical exemption has been allowed to come,” said Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tealey.
But the border for Djokovic remained locked: those exempted from vaccination need to apply for another type of visa. Permits from the state, from the organizers of the Australian Open did not work – the national law is higher. And the tennis community agrees: everyone is equal. Russian athletes were quarantined and vaccinated. Khachanov, Rublev, Karatsev are going. And, of course, Medvedev.
“Last year’s success for Medvedev, when he was in the final, is significant, we hope that he will achieve at least the same result. And we will monitor their rivalry with Djokovic,” says Tennis Federation President Shamil Tarpishchev.
But will Djokovic make it to court? He has no right to do so yet. Australian press sarcastically: “No way, Novak!” (No way, Novak! – translated from English) And now an attempt to bypass the covid regulations threatens the world tennis star with a loss of points not only in the ranking, but also in the eyes of the fans.
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