Direct speech of Štefan Čižmarovič: Djokovic will not return to Australia – ŠPORT.sk

I will mention the beginning of the pandemic, when the Serb received great criticism for organizing exhibition tournaments in the Balkans, where they played in front of full stands and anti-epidemic measures were not fundamentally observed. The result was several infected players, including Novak and his wife. We know that the 2020 season was deeply affected by the pandemic, when several tournaments were canceled, including Wimbledon, and many more took place without spectators.

Therefore, the entire tennis community considered it a miracle that the 2021 season began in Australia with almost 100% participation of the best players and without the absence of fans. Of course, everyone had to undergo mandatory measures. Novak Djokovic managed to win the Australian Open convincingly for the ninth time and was almost irresistible during the rest of the season. It wasn’t until the US Open final that Daniil Medvedev “stole” his calendar Grand Slam.

It is known that since the vaccination against Covid began, Novak Djokovic has openly stated that he is against. As for anti-epidemic measures, each country has them individually and tennis players have to adapt to them. There have been and are probably the strictest restrictions in Australia, the country has fought the coronavirus by closing borders and long lockdowns.

Almost 90 percent of the population over the age of 16 has already received two doses of the vaccine there, and high vaccination coverage was a condition for the release of the last lockdown. A question mark hung over Djokovic’s participation in Melbourne for a long time. He declined to say he was vaccinated, which was a condition of the state of Victoria. He announced on social media on Tuesday that he had received a medical exemption, is leaving and wants to obtain the 21st grand slam title.

The Australian Open organizers’ effort to have a world unit at the tournament is logical, but the reactions to the exception came immediately. Although the exception was acknowledged by paramedics on two independent commissions, tournament director Craig Tiley called on Djokovic to explain why he was granted an exemption to calm the situation down.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison also said that he was waiting for the Serb’s presentation and evidence to be granted, otherwise he would have to fly home on the first plane. He also said that he did not agree that there should be special rules for Djokovic. The Australian media also played a significant role, expressing a huge wave of reluctance with the exception.

The Australian government revoked Djokovic’s visa upon arrival in Melbourne and ordered him to leave the country after a few hours, as he allegedly did not meet strict entry requirements.

I admit that I expected this scenario and I am sorry that the Australian Open will be without the best tennis player on the planet. I wonder how the other players will react to his expulsion. I am also afraid that Novak Djokovic will never travel to Australia again.

On the court, Novak never gives up even at critical moments and fights similarly in this situation through lawyers, so everything can still be reversed by an Australian court.

The author was the coach of the winning fedcup team in Slovakia in 2002, has a tennis academy and also works as a television expert.