Novak Djokovic: Causing More Drama Off the Court

The world’s best male tennis player is causing major drama. Novak Djokovic, a 34-year-old tennis player from Serbia, started playing at the age of four despite living in war-torn Serbia and took his career professional in 2003. Djokovic won his first Grand Slam tournament – the Australian Open – in 2008, making him the first Serbian man to win one of the most prestigious singles championships in all of tennis. Throughout his career, he broke records and beat some of the best players in the history of the sport. He currently holds a record of 20 Grand Slam wins, tied with Federer and Nadal. 

Now, Djokovic is attempting to get into the Australian Open again, and this has been causing an uproar. In November 2021, he was granted a temporary Australian entry visa to compete in the tournament. Later that month, it was ruled that a COVID infection in the last six months, without vaccination, doesn’t meet the requirements for a quarantine-free entry into the country. Later, Tennis Australia was said to have sent a letter to players that a COVID-19 infection within the last six months was a valid medical exemption if a letter from a doctor is included. 

On the 16th, Djokovic tested negative on a rapid antigen test. Later, though, his PCR test came back positive. Djokovic, however, says he didn’t know of this until after a tennis event on December 17th, which he only attended after receiving a negative result. According to his affidavit, he tested negative again on the 22nd. A document by the Public Health of Serbia Institute, issued on the 23rd, said that he has COVID antibodies and supported the claim that he had recovered from the virus when he arrived in Australia. Djokovic then received a medical exemption from Tennis Australia which allowed him to enter the country without vaccination or quarantine because, according to documents, he had just recovered from the virus.

Djokovic also checked “No” on a travel declaration when asked if he had traveled in the 14 days before his arrival, but videos and photos show him in Spain and Serbia within the two weeks before his travel to Australia. On the first day of 2022, the Australian Ministry of Home Affairs notified him and his team that his travel declaration was assessed and he had received clearance for coming to Australia without quarantine. Djokovic arrived in Melbourne, where the tournament would take place, on the 5th, just leaving Spain the previous day. Upon arrival, he was brought to a room and interviewed by Border Control officers. His visa was canceled the next day, and he was taken to a temporary detention facility in Melbourne.

On the 10th of January, Djokovic’s hearing began. The judge decided to stop the cancellation of Novak’s visa and ordered his release from the detention center. The next day, the Australian Border Force investigated whether or not Djokovic had submitted a false travel declaration. These officials were also investigating inconsistencies on his December PCR results and the documents related to them, as well as his actions after testing positive in Serbia. The immigration minister in Australia revoked his temporary visa before the tournament began on the 16th claiming “it was in public interest to do so.” The next day, he was detained by the authorities before his court hearing. On the 16th, when he was supposed to be playing Miromir Kecmanovic in the first round, he lost his case and was deported. 

As he revealed earlier in the pandemic, he is against the vaccine and “wouldn’t want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine in order to be able to travel.” However, now that he is at risk of not being able to compete in at least 3 of the 4 Grand Slam tournaments this year because of this, he will have to make a decision. As he said in 2020, “but if it becomes compulsory, what will happen? I will have to make a decision. I have my own thoughts about the matter, and whether those thoughts will change at some point, I dont know. Hypothetically, if the season was to resume in July, August, or September, though unlikely, I understand that a vaccine will become a requirement straight after we are out of strict quarantine, and there is no vaccine yet.” 

Many, including the Spanish authorities, advise Djokovic to get the vaccine as he is only one of three top-100 men’s tennis players to not be vaccinated. In France, the leader of President Emmanuel Macron’s party, Stanislas Guerini, calls Djokovic irresponsible. On French radio he says, “Who would understand if we asked our citizens to make an effort and respect the rules if we authorize some to get out of them?” This referring to the Covid law in France that people must be vaccinated to enter theaters, restaurants, and most importantly for Djokovic, sports arenas. 

In his home country, many are incredibly skeptical of the vaccine. In fact, he was welcomed home to supporters chanting support for their “mistreated” hero. Simon Avramov, one of his supporters, even claimed that “the world could not let someone from this small country be a champion.” On top of that, a lot of people, even those who don’t understand the decision he made on his vaccination status, believe that he is being treated unfairly. Since returning to Serbia, Novak hasn’t made any comments. After the court ruling, he said that he wanted the focus to go back on tennis and away from the attention on him.

Unfortunately, not winning a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam isn’t the only disappointment he will be feeling. Now, as Djokovic sits back at home in Serbia, unable to even try for his record-breaking win, he finds out more disappointing news. This week, the French authorities said that all players have to be vaccinated against the coronavirus in order to play in the French Open in May. And while he might be able to play in June at Wimbledon, he wouldn’t be able to compete at the U.S. Open under the current foreign traveler guidelines in place. 

By Samantha Weiner