Novak Djokovic’s farcical visa saga and its relevance going forward
A story which has dominated mainstream news channels for almost a month now, it has been impossible to miss the long-running saga surrounding tennis player Novak Djokovic and his entry into Australia for the Australian Open Tournament.
This entire standoff, for better or for worse, has become the sporting story so far this year. Various news outlets provided round the clock coverage of the outcome of Djokovic’s complex situation as if it were transfer deadline day or a political election, and there can certainly be no denying that politics play their part in the ugly events which unfolded down under.
Djokovic is a high profile athlete who has stated he will not receive his COVID-19 vaccine
Now that the long drawn out controversy has been brought to an end with the deportation of the 20-time Grand Slam winner from the country, it is essential that moving forward, we gather what has been learnt and the wider effects which may arise as a result of sport’s uneasy relationship with COVID-19 vaccination status.
Firstly, it is key to briefly summarise what happened when Djokovic touched down in Melbourne Airport on January 6th. The strict rules on entry to Australia regarding vaccinations saw his visa rejected and prevented the Serbian from legally entering into the country for the first Grand Slam of the year.
Djokovic has vocally stated his opposition to receiving his COVID-19 vaccine, but was under the impression that having tested positive for the disease in mid December he could qualify for an exemption which would grant him entry into the country and clear him to play in the Open.
This proved not to be the case however, as his visa was cancelled and his exemption null and voided by Immigration Minister Alex Hawke on the grounds that granting the tennis star entry would help to stoke anti-vaccine sentiments.
A court ruling rejected Djokovic’s appeal against the decision and left him with no choice but to leave the country. Although there may be differing viewpoints regarding whether the deportation of Djokovic was used as a political tool, there is no doubt that it has been a painful experience for all involved.
It has unfortunately overshadowed the on court action at the first Grand Slam of the year, where Daniil Medvedevand Ashleigh Barty are favourites to scoop the major prize ahead of the men’s and women’s finals on Sunday.
The silver lining for Djokovic is that he is unlikely to miss any further tournaments this year. He is set to make his return to action at Dubai ATP Tour, a tournament he has won five times in his career, next month as entrants into the country are not required to be vaccinated.
Tennis Australia stated that they ‘deeply regretted’ the way the Djokovic saga played out.
However, with the French government taking a strong stance on vaccinations and issues arising in New York surrounding unvaccinated basketballers playing indoors, issues are likely to occur closer to the time of these tournaments in May and August. It is also looking likely that Djokovic may be banned from Australia for a further three years, owing to his lost court appeal and the fact that he allegedly appeared mask less at a public event the day after he tested positive.
It is a potentially bitter blow for fans of the 34-year-old tennis star, who face the prospect of not seeing their idol play again in the competition he has dominated so many times in the past owing to factors outside of the tennis court.
Branching outside of the tennis bubble, and further complications with vaccinations and sport arise in many different arenas. Formula 1 bosses have already stated that unvaccinated drivers and staff will not be admitted to the country for the Australian GP, as they will look to avoid a similar PR fiasco such as the one which has arisen surrounding the Australian Open, which Tennis Australia have said they ‘deeply regret’.
As the dust begins to settle on the standoff between Novak Djokovic and the Australian government, there will likely be similar and more hostile stand offs and harsh repercussions for unvaccinated athletes in many different sports. In terms of reputation, the entire ordeal will have been a regrettable situation for all parties involved, and one that other sporting bodies and governments will take as an example of how not to handle things
Ciaran Currie is a sports reporter for The Scoop and an International Business and Spanish student at Queen’s University Belfast.