Enlarge image
A fan holds up a picture of Novak Djoković in front of the quarantine hotel in Melbourne
Photo: LOREN ELLIOTT / REUTERS
Why is?
Actually, Novak Djoković, number one in the tennis world rankings, traveled to Melbourne to break the record for the most Grand Slam victories at the Australian Open. For days, Novak Djoković has been sitting in Melbourne in a hotel for people obliged to leave the country. After landing in Australia, he had to check in there because his visa was canceled and he was then refused entry. The reason: Djoković is not vaccinated against the corona virus, but this is a requirement for the visa, as Djoković's team had applied for for the superstar.
The fact that Djoković has not long since left the hotel and the country is probably due to the hope of being able to compete in the first tennis major of the year.
The 34-year-old's lawyers are suing the cancellation of his visa, and a court in the Australian metropolis postponed the hearing to Monday.
The court rejected a request from the Australian government to postpone the date to Wednesday.
That means: On Monday (midnight German time) the negotiation starts as to whether Djoković is allowed to enter or not.
The negotiation is broadcast live here.
What's the prehistory?
Djoković is known for his - to put it mildly - unusual attitudes. After the corona pandemic began, he once said that poisonous water could be converted into drinking water through »energetic transformation«. This aroused loud criticism, not the only time in the pandemic: First, in the midst of the virus spread, as a co-organizer of a show tournament, he organized a real tennis corona cluster and infected himself in the process. Then Djoković left his vaccination status open with reference to the free expression of opinion .
Due to the strict entry regulations in Australia, which largely led the country through the pandemic with success, speculation about Djoković's participation was early on. Especially since the organizers really wanted to have the currently best tennis player in the world in the field. Tournament director Craig Tiley outlined shortly before Christmas how Djoković could start without a vaccination: with a medical exemption.
The question, around which everything now revolves, is the reason for this exemption.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has already called on Djoković to reveal the reasons for this, and the Serb's lawyers have now announced that it has been a corona infection within the past six months.
But there is also a problem with this: The date of the allegedly positive PCR test, December 16, is apparently one day before an event at which Djoković was willingly available to young players for Instagram photos.
How are the reactions?
When Djoković actually justified his departure to Australia with an exception rule last Tuesday with a picture on Instagram, it caused a storm of indignation. Australian media outdid each other in their outrage, in "The Herald Sun" there was talk of a "sick hypocrisy" because the people in Australia had gone through hell because of Covid. Apparently startled by the media echo, the government around Prime Minister Morrison suddenly spoke up, and the scandal took its course.
Djoković's family has since compared him to Jesus on the cross, among other things, tennis players such as ex-trainer Boris Becker either spoke of a "big mistake" or took him under protection.
In Melbourne in front of the hotel, as in the Serbian capital Belgrade, there are demonstrations, but not only in favor of Djoković: The rejected asylum seekers in the hotel are also discussed, "Refugees are welcome, Djoković is not" it said on a poster.
Djoković himself thanked Instagram briefly for the support.
What's next?
No matter what the court's decision, Djoković will continue to polarize in the coming days, weeks and months.
Should Djoković be allowed to take part in the Australian Open, which starts on January 17th, he can expect a gauntlet run, because fans will probably be allowed in the stadiums, mind you, only if they are double vaccinated.
Twitter has already announced with a wink that the player who knocks Djoković out of the tournament will probably never have to pay for a beer again in Australia.
It is unclear whether Djoković can also take part in the Australian Open if he is successful in court.
Should Djoković not be allowed to start in Australia, the world number one would at least be able to continue with normal sporting terms: in other countries there are not such strict entry restrictions, the French sports minister has already announced that Djoković will be allowed to participate in the French Open, which starts at the end of May, albeit with different restrictions than vaccinated professionals.
Djoković will be able to play for his 21st Grand Slam there at the latest.
hba
