Novak Djokovic denied entry to Australia because of vaccination exemption

World No. 1 men’s tennis player Novak Djokovic traveled all day Wednesday from Dubai to Australia, a journey believed to begin his defense of his Australian Open men’s singles title.

On Thursday he was told he would need to leave the country, following a 10-hour argument with government officials at a Melbourne airport, where he was kept in his room overnight for visa validity and questions about proof of medical support. free coronavirus vaccine. The exemption is said to allow Djokovic, a 20-time Grand Slam champion and one of the sport’s biggest stars, to compete at the Australian Open even though he is unvaccinated.

Djokovic did not immediately leave the country, and his team filed a legal challenge to the ruling on Thursday. A judge said Djokovic will be allowed to stay in Australia at least until Monday as his lawyers await a hearing.

A spokesperson for the tennis star did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Hours later, fans waving Serbian flags gathered outside the Melbourne hotel where Djokovic was supposed to be staying to protest his decision to deny his visa.

This sequence of events represents a surprising turning point for Djokovic, who in over 24 hours went from receiving special, last-minute permission to compete in the Open, onto a flight. intercontinental, was essentially told by the Australian prime minister that he was not welcome in the country.

At one point the President Alexander Vucic of Serbia even stepped in, speaking to Djokovic and criticizing the Australian government for its treatment of his country’s biggest sports star.

The pandemic has devastated all areas of sport over the past two years. The Tokyo Summer Olympics have been postponed for a year. Major events take place in empty stadiums. The star players were quarantined on the eve of their competition after testing positive for the virus.

The situation involving Djokovic, one of the most polarizing figures in tennis, is a match for any of them. It turned out to be a confrontation between a sports superstar and the most powerful leader in one of the most prosperous countries in the world, where government officials, citizens, the media and even some bridges fellow opponents criticized the immunity, which seems to have prompted the sudden change.

This decision promises to be another highlight in the current debate about vaccines and pandemic management, especially in Australia, where egalitarianism is considered a sacred principle – and where “tennis,” as the Open is called, is also loved by what often seems like an entire nation of sports fanatics.

In one statement On Thursday, the Australian Border Force pledged to “continue to ensure that those arriving at our border comply with our laws and immigration requirements. The ABF can confirm that Mr Djokovic failed to provide appropriate evidence to satisfy the entry requirements to Australia, and his visa was subsequently cancelled.

For Djokovic, it is the latest and arguably the most heated controversy of their career, almost all due to the behavior of a champion who can be willful and unyielding in front of the court. fight like him. up there.

Djokovic has never been afraid to show off non-traditional point of view science and medicine (he has been vocal in support of the idea that prayer and faith can purify toxic water), and he has repeatedly stated his opposition to the vaccination mandate, saying that vaccination race is a private and personal decision. As of this week, however, he has not revealed whether he has been vaccinated.

On Tuesday, he announced on Twitter that he had received a medical exemption, requiring all people entering Australia to be vaccinated or quarantined for 14 days upon arrival. He then boarded a plane to Australia from Dubai.

In a statement later that day, Craig Tiley, chief executive of Tennis Australia, explained that players seeking an exemption must go through two panels of medical experts. This process includes reprocessing of personal information to ensure privacy.

“Established independent and fair protocols for the assessment of medical waiver applications will allow us to ensure the Australian Open 2022 is safe and enjoyable for all,” Tiley said. “At the heart of this process is that decisions are made by independent medical professionals and that every applicant is given due consideration.”

Tiley said Wednesday in a television interview that 26 players have applied for an exemption and “a handful” have been approved. According to Tiley, 99% of the more than 3,000 people who came to Australia for the tournament were vaccinated. A small number of people are exempt from contracting or contracting Covid-19 within the past six months, although Australian health officials said late last year that a recent infection was not necessarily sufficient to qualify for admission. scene.

Tennis Australia said Djokovic’s exemption was in part granted by an independent panel appointed by Victoria’s Department of Health.

Djokovic landed at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport around 11:30pm on Wednesday. By then, he had become a central figure in the firestorm of his receipt of an entry permit to Australia, which is experiencing a staggering increase in the number of coronavirus cases.

The country has waged one of the most successful battles against Covid-19, but it has come with a high price. The strict lockdown has lasted for months. International borders were largely closed until recently. Domestic travelers are subject to an expensive two-week quarantine upon arrival. For a long time, even interstate travel was banned. The country has experienced about 2,200 deaths, but since opening its borders late last year, it is now dealing with more than 30,000 cases a day.

When Djokovic flew to Melbourne, the Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, asked the competent government to deny entry to Djokovic.

Morrison said: “Any individual wishing to enter Australia must comply with our border requirements.

“We await his presentation and what evidence he provides us to support that,” added Morrison. “If that evidence is not enough, then he will not be treated differently from anyone else and he will be on the next flight home. There are no special rules for Novak Djokovic. Nothing. ”

Also on Wednesday, Jaala Pulford, acting minister for sport for Victoria, home to Melbourne, the Open’s venue, said the state government would not support Djokovic’s visa application. Pulford wrote on Twitter that “visa approval is a matter for the federal government.”

Her statement follows comments from Australia’s Home Affairs Minister, Karen Andrews, who noted that the government has the authority to block Djokovic from entering the country. In a statement titled “Australia’s border rules apply to everyone,” said Andrews that “while the Victorian Government and Tennis Australia may allow an unvaccinated player to compete at the Australian Open, the Commonwealth Government will enforce our requirements. at the Australian border”.

The decision to grant Djokovic medical exemptions from two expert panels was greeted with skepticism and resignation from some of his fellow players and anger from Australians.

Jamie Murray of England said: “I think if it were me who wasn’t vaccinated I wouldn’t be exempt.

Others criticized the Australian government for screwing up the process and mistreating the world’s top players.

Tennys Sandgren, an American professional tennis player who is also against the vaccination order, stated on Twitter that “Australia doesn’t deserve to host a Grand Slam.”

Djokovic, who joins Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer for the most men’s singles titles with 20 Grand Slam titles, will be the favorite to claim his 21st win in Melbourne, where he has won nine times. Melbourne has a small but energetic community of expatriates from Serbia, who attend all of Djokovic’s matches at Rod Laver Arena, the Open’s main stadium, and provide him with enthusiastic support. rarely far from home.

While professional men’s and women’s tournaments do not require vaccination, tennis officials are held by local, state and national governments where tournaments are held. It is possible that Djokovic faces these cases at other competitions if countries require the vaccine to enter or local authorities require a vaccine for the job.

The French Open, Wimbledon and US Open, which take place in late spring and summer, have yet to announce whether vaccinations are needed.

Andrew Das, Isabella Kwai, Livia Albeck-Ripka and Damien Cave contribution report.