The Serbian tennis player will look for his 21st Grand Slam in Melbourne, which would place him as the most winner in history.
The tennis player Novak Djokovic you have not received “special favors” with the medical exemption that will allow you to play the Australian Opentournament boss Craig Tiley said Wednesday.
The nine-time champion of the first Grand Slam of the year announced on Tuesday that he was traveling to Melbourne after obtaining a “medical derogation”, which ended with the soap opera on whether the Serbian could participate in the tournament.
All participants in the Australian Open, which begins on January 17, must be vaccinated against COVID-19 or have an exemption granted by two independent expert committees.
In the past, the Serbian has been reluctant to get vaccinated and has repeatedly refused to confirm whether he was inoculated.
In statements to the Australian chain Channel Nine, Tiley said that 26 of the nearly 3,000 players and technical staff traveling to Australia for the competition had asked for a waiver, but only a handful got it.
“Anyone who meets the conditions has been allowed to come. There were no special favors. There is no special opportunity for Novak, “Tiley said.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison declared for his part that if the reasons for Djokovic’s exemption were “insufficient”, the Serb would be “on the next plane back” home.
“We look forward to your presentation and the evidence you give us to support (your exemption),” Morrison said at a news conference.
Tiley also urged the tennis player to reveal the reason for his medical leave.
“It would be really helpful if Novak explains the conditions for which he has requested and obtained a medical exemption,” he said.
“I encourage you to tell the community about it … We have been through a very difficult period these last two years and I would appreciate some feedback on it,” he added.
One of the conditions that allowed entry without vaccination is that the applicant had had covid-19 in the last six months. It is not clear that this is the case for Djokovic.
“Terrible message”
The decision sparked outrage in Australia, whose residents have been subjected to significant border restrictions, lockdowns and closures for much of the past two years.
It also generated surprise in some tennis players, such as the British doubles player Jamie Murray, who is contesting the ATP Cup in Sydney. “I think that if I were the one who is not vaccinated, I would not receive the exemption,” he claimed.
Doctor Stephen Parnis, former vice president of the Australian Medical Association, said the decision sends a negative message to people fighting the spread of COVID-19.
“I don’t care how good a tennis player he is. If he refuses to be vaccinated, he should not be allowed in, ”Parnis said on Twitter.
“If this exemption is real, it sends a terrible message to the millions who seek to curb COVID-19 and put themselves at risk” to do so, he added.
But Tiley said the two expert committees evaluated each waiver request without knowing the identity of the applicant.
Djokovic voiced his opposition to the coronavirus vaccine in April 2020, when it was raised that it might be mandatory to resume tournaments.
“Personally I am not provaccine,” Djokovic declared then. “I do not want someone to force me to be vaccinated to travel.”
The annoyance was palpable on the streets of Melbourne. Ron Wilson, a resident, told the international agency AFP that “I find it disgusting (…) It shouldn’t be a last minute decision to let him in.”
Tiley said she understands people’s discomfort, noting that “I understand and empathize with those who are completely upset.”
Confirmation that the Serb was on his way to Melbourne set the stage for a Djokovic duel with Spaniard Rafael Nadal, both seeking a historic 21st Grand Slam title.
Nadal is already in Melbourne after recovering from the coronavirus he contracted at an exhibition event in December in Abu Dhabi. (D)
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