Novak Djokovic tapped the small “o” in the alphabet five times. “Idemooooo 22” wrote the superstar on Instagram.
Djokovic had always pointed out that his vaccination status was nobody’s business. “Too many people take the liberty to ask things and to condemn people for them,” the industry leader had made it clear to the Serbian newspaper “Blic” months ago. The subject of vaccination is a “private matter”.
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Which he is right about. Only the vaccination status is decisive for whether Australia approves entry and the start at the first Grand Slam event of the year. Unvaccinated professionals are only allowed to serve in Melbourne Park with a medical exemption.
This is exactly the case with Djokovic.
However, the matter raises questions Eurosport.de answered here:
1.) How is an exemption granted?
The Australian association Tennis Australia, which hosts the tournament, explained the process in a statement. “In an independent process, applications for a medical exemption are examined by a committee of doctors from the fields of immunology, infectious diseases and general medicine,” it says.
Applications that meet the requirements of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (ATAGI) are then submitted to a second committee. This is used by the government.
In order to protect privacy and to ensure an unbiased assessment, data that could be used to identify the person will not be passed on. “The independent process over several steps was chosen to ensure the safety of everyone at the Australian Open,” is the statement from the Australian Open.
2.) How is the Djokovic case stored?
For Tennis Australia the matter is clear. “Djokovic has applied for a medical exemption, which was granted after a strict review process with two separate independent medical expert panels,” said the Australian Open organizer. The Independent Medical Exemption Review Panel set up by the Victoria State Health Department was involved in the decision-making process.
“Novak Djokovic will take part in the Australian Open and is on his way to Australia,” said Tennis Australia. The superstar himself posted a photo on Instagram before departure. “After a great time with my family during the break, I am traveling down under today with a special permit,” wrote the Serb.
3.) Is Djokovic the only one with a special permit?
No. Tournament director Craig Tiley confirmed a few days ago that “a handful” of unvaccinated professionals have already received a medical exemption. He did not give names. “It is up to the athletes themselves whether they want to disclose this information,” said Tiley.
The 60-year-old emphasized that the athletes were subject to particularly strict conditions. The tennis professionals are “much stricter than anyone who comes to Australia and applies for a medical exception.”
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The statement is also to be seen against the background that James Merlino – Deputy Prime Minister of the State of Victoria – had announced that medical exemptions “should not be a loophole for privileged tennis players”.
4.) How does the tennis scene react?
Jamie Murray, 2016 Australian Open winner in doubles, was one of the first colleagues – and made no secret of his skepticism. “I think if I weren’t vaccinated I wouldn’t get a special permit,” said the 35-year-old at a press conference of the ATP Cup, which is currently taking place in Sydney. “But it’s good for him that he managed to travel to Australia and participate.”
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Murray’s team-mate Liam Borady added that “at the end of the day one can only hope” that he has a valid reason to get the medical exemption.
Local hero Alex de Minaur, on the other hand, only reacted very briefly to Djokovic’s participation: “I just think it’s very interesting. That’s all I have to say about it.”
5.) What does the Djokovic participation mean in sporting terms?
The Belgrade’s participation could have an impact on sport history. Djokovic is the record winner of the competition with nine titles and would celebrate his 21st Grand Slam triumph with another success. He would then be ahead of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal (both 20) and would have won the debate about the greatest player in history – especially since he is the youngest of the trio despite his 34 years.
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Specifically related to the 2022 tournament, the participation of the world number one means a massive upgrade of the event. Together with Alexander Zverev, Djokovic is the top favorite at the start. US Open Champion Daniil Medvedev revealed weaknesses at the ATP Cup, Stefanos Tsitsipas is not 100 percent due to his elbow problems, Rafael Nadal was infected with the corona virus four weeks before the start and has to approach again after the quarantine. Federer and Dominic Thiem do not even arrive.
Even Nick Kyrgios, not exactly known as a friend of the so-called Big 3, spoke of an “absolute disaster for the fans” if none of the three legends should compete. No question about it, from a sporting point of view, Djokovic’s participation is worth gold for the Australian Open. How the fans in Melbourne Park react to the industry leader is a completely different story.
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