Djokovic out, but vaccine debate stays in Australian Open

2 years ago 332

MELBOURNE – To some, it seemed a unreality had been lifted from the Australian Open. To others, Novak Djokovic inactive was astir palpably present, the sanction connected everyone's lips connected the opening time of the archetypal large tennis tourney of the year.

Djokovic near Australia precocious Sunday erstwhile helium failed to overturn the cancellation of his visa owed to his deficiency of a COVID-19 vaccination. His formation from Melbourne was touching down successful Dubai aboriginal Monday conscionable arsenic the archetypal matches of the tourney began.

As the No. 1 ranked antheral subordinate and the three-time defending champion, Djokovic would person been the marquee attraction of the tournament. In absentia, helium inactive exercised an outsized power connected opening day.

When his Serbian Davis Cup teammate Dusan Lajovic bushed Marton Fucsovics of Hungary successful a choky five-setter, a Serbian instrumentality instantly tweeted “Dusan Lajovic has avenged his Serbian member by eliminating Martin Fucsovics.”

Fucsovics had angered Djokovic’s supporters earlier the tourney erstwhile helium criticized Djokovic’s unvaccinated status, saying “people’s wellness is paramount and determination are rules that were outlined months agone namely that everyone should vaccinate themselves and Djokovic didn’t.

”From this constituent of view, I don’t deliberation helium would person the close to beryllium here.”

Djokovic received an exemption to vaccination rules to play successful the Australian Open, based connected a coronavirus corruption successful mid-December. But upon arrival, borderline officials said the exemption was not valid and moved to deport him — sparking a 10-day ineligible conflict and an ongoing governmental drama.

After his triumph astatine Melbourne Park, Lajovic displayed a Serbian emblem emblazoned with Djokovic’s representation and the words “like it oregon not, The Greatest of All Time.”

The celebrated Australian tennis manager Darren Cahill told Australian tv “the players are relieved” that Djokovic’s departure focused attraction connected tennis.

The erstwhile manager of satellite No. 1s Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt and Simona Halep told the Nine Network “there has been a unreality hanging implicit the players.

“I hated the exemption that helium had due to the fact that I deliberation that exemption is truly for radical who privation to get vaccinated and can’t get vaccinated due to the fact that they person contracted COVID successful the past 3 oregon six months and Novak ne'er wanted to get vaccinated.”

Australian national Treasurer Josh Frydenberg rejected the assertion of Serbia President Alexander Vucic that Djokovic was mentally and physically mistreated anterior to his departure from Australia.

“I wholly cull those comments and marque nary apologies for the exertion of the rules present successful Australia astir our borderline extortion policies that person helped support america safe,” Frydenberg said. “It doesn’t substance whether you’re the No. 1 tennis subordinate successful the satellite oregon Betty from Utah, If you’re unvaccinated, the aforesaid rules apply, and that’s what’s applied here.

“The Australian Open … is simply a large solemnisation of tennis, and it’s overmuch bigger than 1 idiosyncratic player.”

Opinion remained divided worldwide connected the No. 1 men’s tennis subordinate and whether helium should person been allowed to vie successful the Australian Open contempt not being vaccinated against COVID-19.

At a tennis halfway successful Phoenix connected Sunday, worker Stan Taylor said the lobby was abuzz with conscionable 1 question arsenic players arrived: “What bash you deliberation astir Novak Djokovic?”

There was nary statement connected whether the No. 1 men’s subordinate had tried to crippled the strategy successful seeking an exemption to Australia’s strict vaccination rules oregon had the close to support his rubric astatine the Open. In the end, the country’s migration curate revoked his visa connected nationalist involvement grounds, and Djokovic was deported Sunday.

Taylor said helium knows Djokovic has favored unconventional approaches each his life, but helium wanted to spot the tennis prima show enactment successful the polarizing COVID-19 vaccine debate.

“I emotion to ticker him bash battle,” said Taylor, who lives successful Phoenix and has intimately followed the saga. “I’ve watched him snatch triumph from the rima of defeat. .... So helium loves the game, but this happening was not thing to get connected the soapbox about. He chose the incorrect fight, and helium lost.”

Djokovic has overwhelming enactment from his location state of Serbia, whose president said Australia embarrassed itself and urged his countryman to instrumentality wherever helium would beryllium welcomed.

The tennis subordinate has besides been held up arsenic a leader by immoderate successful the anti-vaccine movement. One protester raised a poster successful enactment of the tennis prima astatine a rally successful the Netherlands connected Sunday.

Others were speedy to criticize. One of Italy’s top tennis players, Adriano Panatta, called Djokovic’s expulsion from Australia “the astir earthy epilogue of this affair.”

“I don’t spot however Australia could person granted the visa. He committed large errors, helium created an planetary lawsuit erstwhile helium could person done without that,” Panatta said to the Italian quality bureau LaPresse.

French tennis subordinate Alize Cornet, meanwhile, expressed sympathy portion reserving judgment.

“I cognize excessively small to justice the situation,” she posted connected Twitter. “What I cognize is that Novak is ever the archetypal 1 to basal up for the players. But nary of america stood for him. Be strong.”

British subordinate Andy Murray said helium hoped that specified a concern wouldn’t beryllium repeated astatine the adjacent tournament.

It's not wide wherever Djokovic volition play next, and helium is the defending champion astatine the adjacent scheduled major, the French Open successful May-June.

At this stage, helium could inactive play — if microorganism rules don’t alteration earlier then. French Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu confirmed earlier this period that Djokovic would suffice for a “health bubble” that allows unvaccinated players to bid and play.

The aforesaid could beryllium existent for Wimbledon, wherever helium is besides the defending champion. England has allowed exemptions from assorted coronavirus regulations for visiting athletes, if they stay astatine their accommodation erstwhile not competing oregon training. The U.S. Tennis Association, which runs the U.S. Open, has said it volition travel authorities rules connected vaccination status.

A Djokovic quality astatine those tournaments surely would pull those who privation to spot large players successful action, said Dillon McNamara, who runs a tennis academy successful Las Vegas.

“I’m not a Novak Djokovic instrumentality astatine each ... but I would person truly liked to spot him play,” helium said, arguing the Australian Open could person enactment measures successful spot to support the tourney harmless beyond barring the unvaccinated.

Perhaps determination is lone 1 happening everyone tin hold on. As Murray enactment it: “The concern has not been bully each circular for anyone.”

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Associated Press writers Joseph Wilson successful Barcelona, Spain; Howard Fendrich successful Washington; Dusan Stojanovic successful Belgrade, Serbia; Rob Harris and Sylvia Hui successful London; Jerome Pugmire successful Paris; and Frances D’Emilio successful Rome contributed to this story.

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