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Novak Djoković
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Julian Finney / Getty Images
The immigration thriller about the Serbian tennis professional Novak Djoković continues.
The world number one will find out on Monday at the earliest whether he will be allowed to compete in the Australian Open a week later.
Then a court in Melbourne should decide on Djoković's objection to the visa withdrawal by the Australian border authorities.
Meanwhile, Djoković's father has spoken out: "My son is in Australian captivity tonight, but he has never been more free," Srdjan Djoković told Serbian media - and made a dubious comparison: "From that moment on, Novak became Symbol and leader of the free world, the world of the poor and oppressed countries and peoples «, Srdjan Djoković is further quoted there.
At a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Srdjan Djoković finally compared his son to Jesus Christ.
"Jesus was crucified, everything was done to him, and he endured it and still lives among us," said Srdjan Djokovic.
"Now they are trying to crucify Novak in the same way and do everything to him." At the press conference in Belgrade, other family members took part in addition to the father.
It took place in the restaurant "Novak 1", which belongs to the tennis player.
The allegedly unvaccinated Djoković failed on Wednesday evening (local time) to enter Australia with the help of a highly controversial medical exemption.
The case causes a stir - and diplomatic anger.
Nadal: "He took a different path"
There were also reactions from the tennis world: Although he felt sorry for Djoković, "there are rules, and if you don't want to be vaccinated, you can run into problems," said Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal of his rival.
“He took a different path, he made his own decisions.
And everyone is free to make their own decisions, but then there are consequences, ”Nadal continued.
He added that Djoković "had known the conditions for many months".
The people in Australia went through difficult times because of the pandemic.
So he could understand her displeasure with the special permit for Djoković, said Nadal.
Melbourne, where the first Grand Slam tournament of the tennis season begins on January 17th, had one of the longest lockdowns in the world at 262 days.
Nadal was already infected with Corona himself and has "been vaccinated twice".
His illness threw him back in preparation for the Australian Open (from January 17th).
"I felt very tired and had a fever," said Nadal after his first match of the year in Melbourne.
In the preparatory tournament for the Grand Slam highlight, he won against Ricardas Berankis from Lithuania 6: 2, 7: 5.
Nadal also appealed in the fight against Corona to trust science.
He believes in “what people who know medicine say.
And if they say we need to be vaccinated, we need to get vaccinated. "
Zverev
: "Would have helped if he had been vaccinated"
Olympic champion Alexander Zverev kept a low profile on the matter.
"At the end of the day it would have helped if he was vaccinated," said Zverev on Thursday in Sydney after his match at the ATP Cup against the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.
"But he got a special permit, so there must be a reason for it," said Zverev.
There are other professionals who would have received an exception, "but we don't know their names."
Zverev added: “It's a Grand Slam tournament that he has won nine times.
It would be nice for tennis if he were there, ”said Zverev.
“But rules are rules.
I'll never say a bad word about Novak in my life, but I don't know enough details to be able to protect him. "
Serbian President Vučić: »Political Witch Hunt«
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić raised serious allegations against it.
"What is not fair is the political witch hunt, in which everyone, including the Australian Prime Minister, pretends the rules apply to everyone," Vučić said on Thursday.
Vučić described the treatment of his compatriot as "infamous in the true sense of the word".
The Serbian government is campaigning for Djoković to move to the house in Melbourne that he had rented for the Australian Open until the final negotiation of his appeal.
Vučić senses a conspiracy.
"I fear that this relentless political persecution of Novak will continue until it can prove something," he said: "Because if you cannot defeat someone, then you resort to such things."
ngo / ara / dpa / sid