Australian Open 2022 Covid vaccination debate: Time for a firm decision

The Premier and Prime Minister have had their say on unvaccinated players at next year’s Australian Open. So what’s the ruling on Novak Djokovic?

Novak Djokovic has a big decision to make. Picture: Michael Klein

It has been like watching a never-ending rally between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic which just goes on and on, from side to side, ebbing and flowing,

And just when you think one has the upper hand, the other pulls out something unexpected and the rally goes back to the start again. Side to side. Back and forth.

That’s exactly what trying to keep up with the political fallout surrounding whether unvaccinated players (ie Djokovic) can play in January’s Australian Open has been like.

There has been Tennis Australia desperately trying to find a way for months to sneak the world No.1 in so he can break the grand slam record at his favourite tournament.

Then there is the Victorian Government, which has smelt a long way out that such a move doesn’t pass the pub test given all the spectators and workers at the Open will be required to be fully vaccinated, so it doesn’t make a lot of sense that the players don’t have to be.

And lastly we have the Federal Government, which has once again shown brilliantly how one hand clearly doesn’t know what the other is doing.

Novak Djokovic could make history at next year’s Australian Open – if he’s allowed to play. Picture: Michael Klein

Last week Immigration Minister Alex Hawke seemed to be very clear that every visitor to Australia needed to be double vaccinated.

On Monday a leaked email from the WTA to the world’s female players suggested there were provisions still for unvaccinated players and all they had to do was two weeks’ hotel quarantine when they arrived in Melbourne.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews kept his no-jab no-play line but then his Sports Minister Martin Pakula offered that the issue was “not settled yet”.

Confused? Wait until we get to the Federal Government again.

On Wednesday Prime Minister Scott Morrison got involved and sent one of those high top-spin lobs up by declaring that unvaccinated tennis players could come in under an exemption, like other necessary workers, as long as they did the two weeks hotel quarantine.

The kicker here was that it’s the states that hand out these exemptions, with the PM adding that there needs to be a “little bit of flexibility” with the virus and that he wants major events because they have a lot of jobs attached.

Thankfully, this was too much for Andrews, who finally brought some real clarity to the Djokovic vaccination debate.

“What I want to make very clear is that the state of Victoria will not be applying for any exemptions for unvaccinated players,” he said.

“I’m not applying for any exemptions for any unvaccinated players. So if we don’t apply for an exemption, then no exemption will be granted. And then the whole issue is basically resolved.

“I’m not going to actually require people sitting in the grandstand, people working at the event to be vaccinated while players aren’t, so we’re not going to be applying for an exemption.”

Victorian premier Dan Andrews has made his views on unvaccinated players clear.

That there is a blazing forehand winner down the line. Game, set and match. Or so you would have thought.

Tennis Australia again remained silent on the matter despite the Premier’s comments.

Surely it’s also now in its interest to say sorry Novak, we love you, we did everything we could, but these are the rules and you have just over two months to get vaccinated.

If you don’t, we’ll see you in 2023 (if you’ve been jabbed).

Premier’s hard-line stance on Aus Open jabs

Unvaccinated tennis players will not be able to play at the Australian Open, with Premier Daniel Andrews revealing the government won’t apply for an exemption.

Confusion reigned this morning when the federal government flagged unvaccinated players could request exemptions to get into the country after 14 days quarantine.

But Mr Andrews said the state would not be putting in an application to do this.

“Then the whole issue is basically resolved,” he said.

“On behalf of every vaccinated Victorian who is doing the right thing ... my government will not be applying for an exemption for any unvaccinated player.

“That is the only fair thing to do.”

Mr Andrews said he wasn’t going to ask fans in the crowd to be vaccinated but not players.

The only other possible way into the country would be if another state applies for an exemption.

When asked whether players could enter the tournament by coming through another state, Mr Andrews reiterated that “it wouldn’t be fair” to ask crowds be vaccinated and not players.

He said exemptions have to be put in by the states, ruling out Tennis Australia putting in an exemption themselves.

He told reporters he thought Immigration Minister Alex Hawke’s earlier comments that unvaccinated people wouldn’t be able to enter the country was the Federal Government view.

But the Federal Government has since confirmed they would not stand in the way of unvaccinated players coming to Australia, effectively leaving the decision to states and territories.

“I’m not pretending to control the borders,” he said.

“Those who do have clarified their position today.”

Premier on Aus Open: ‘on behalf of every vaccinated Victorian who has done the right thing - my Goverment will not be applying for an exemption for any unvaccinated player’ @7NewsMelbournepic.twitter.com/xKrymQpXNR

— Sharnelle Vella (@SharnelleVella) October 26, 2021

Earlier, Prime Minister Scott Morrison further complicated the debate over whether tennis players will be mandated to have a Covid vaccination prior to the Australian Open in January by declaring any unvaccinated person can enter the country if they serve a mandatory two-weeks of hotel quarantine.

“Well they’ll have to quarantine for two weeks, just in the same way a skilled worker who has come in to fix a boiler … can get exemptions to do that,” Mr Morrison told 3AW radio on Wednesday.

Will Djokovic change his mind on the vaccine? Picture: AFP

It is the same guidelines in an email to WTA players that was leaked on Monday that contained provisions for unvaccinated players to come to Australia for the opening grand slam tournament of 2022.

It suggested Djokovic could defend his title but would have to do two weeks hard hotel quarantine upon arrival and be subject to regular testing.

Djokovic has refused to reveal his vaccination status and it was thought if he didn’t change his stance he wouldn’t be defending his Australian Open crown.

He has indicated previously that he would be unlikely to do the 14-day hotel quarantine, which all players did for this year’s Open, in order to take his place in the tournament which begins on January 17.

The Premier had previously said while the ultimate decision on letting unvaccinated players into the country rested with the Commonwealth government, if spectators had to be fully vaccinated then players should.

“You try getting into the US … most of Europe, really, (and) so many different parts of Asia if you haven’t been vaccinated,” Andrews told the ABC.

“Like, you’re just not getting a visa – why would that be different here?”

He said the tennis players would be coming to Australia under a work or visitor visa, and “I don’t think it’s too much to say, if you want one of those visas and you want to come here, then you need to be double-vaxxed.

“All the people who are watching the tennis at the Australian Open, they’re going to be double-vaxxed, all the people that work there are going to be double-vaxxed,” Mr Andrews said.

“It stands to reason that if you want to get into the country to be part of that tournament, then you should be double-vaxxed as well.”

Djokovic struggled with injury at the 2018 open. Picture: AFP

CHANGE OF HEART

There has been movement in the unvaccinated tennis ranks over the past week with last year’s Australian Open runner-up Dominic Thiem confirming he would now get the jab, while world No. 5 Andrey Rublev also had a change of mind.

Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas has softened his anti-vaccination stance and declared last week he would fall into line with each country‘s requirements.

Australian Open officials have been locked in negotiations with various government departments for months trying to figure out a way to avoid a blatant ban for unvaccinated players given Djokovic’s position.

He is currently tied with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on 20 grand slam titles, and is one away from becoming the most decorated male player of all time.

Djokovic is refusing to reveal his vaccination status. Picture: AFP

Open’s ‘worst nightmare’: How many players could be banned?

— Scott Gullan

Earlier, The Australian Open was under increasing threat from vaccine-hesitant players after the Federal Government declared a no-jab no-play policy.

Tennis Australia‘s worst nightmare is evolving with the government stance casting serious doubt over whether world No. 1 Novak Djokovic will be at Melbourne Park in January.

To this point Djokovic has refused to reveal his vaccination status and if he doesn‘t change this stance then he won’t be defending his Australian Open crown.

And it won‘t just be the men’s best player who will be missing with both the men’s and women’s tours having more than a third of the players not yet fully vaccinated.

Novak Djokovic is in serious doubt for the 2022 Aus Open. Picture: William West/AFP

Estimates on vaccination rates last week had the ATP Tour (men) at 65 per cent and WTA (women) on 60 per cent. Australia‘s world No. 1 Ash Barty is fully vaccinated.

Immigration Minister Alex Hawke raised the stakes in the vaccination debate on Wednesday when he declared there would be no special exemption for tennis players.

“The government in establishing its borders has said that you’ll need to be double vaccinated to visit Australia. That’s a universal application, not just to tennis players. I mean that every visitor to Australia will need to be double vaccinated,” Mr Hawke said on ABC radio.

Asked if he had a message for Djokovic, the Minister said the health advice was clear, backing in the view held by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews.

“I don’t have a message to Novak. I have a message to everybody that wishes to visit Australia. He’ll need to be double vaccinated,” Mr Hawke said.

The Minister for Immigration Alex Hawke has laid out the conditions of entry for the world's biggest tennis stars. Picture: NCA Newswire

On Tuesday Djokovic, who is chasing his 10th Australian Open title, revealed he was unsure if he would be making the trip Down Under.

“Things being as they are, I still don‘t know if I will go to Melbourne,” Djokovic said.

“I will not reveal my status, whether I have been vaccinated or not. It is a private matter and an inappropriate inquiry.”

Despite the clear shift from the government, Tennis Australia said on Wednesday that they were awaiting further information.

“Over the last few months we have been working productively with all the relevant authorities on the conditions that will be in place for fans, players and our staff in January,” the TA statement said.

“Our understanding is that the details around international visitors entering the country are yet to be decided and we hope to have more information soon.”

Dominic Thiem has agreed to get vaccinated. Picture: AFP

Last year’s Australian Open runner-up Dominic Thiem came out earlier this week to confirm he would now get vaccinated in order to play in Melbourne while world No. 5 Andrey Rublev has also changed his mind in recent days and will now get jabbed.

Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas has softened his anti-vaccination stance and declared last week he would fall into line with each country‘s requirements.

“I will play under the conditions that have been set now. I think it’s fair,“ he said.

Britain’s Andy Murray has been one of the most vocal on tour about the reluctance of players to get vaccinated.

“Ultimately, I guess the reason why all of us are getting vaccinated is to look out for the wider public,“ Murray said.

“We have a responsibility as players travelling across the world to look out for everyone else as well.

“I’m happy that I’m vaccinated. I’m hoping that more players choose to have it.”

Andy Murray has encouraged more players to get vaccinated. Picture: AAP

Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka said she couldn’t understand why fans were having to be vaccinated and not the players.

“To me that’s a bit bizarre that fans have to be vaccinated and players are not,” Azarenka said. “So I think that in my opinion, it’s inevitable that it will be mandated at some point, like other leagues are doing.”

At the US Open in September, fans had to show proof of at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to attend matches, although players weren’t required to get a shot.

Australian Open officials have been locked in negotiations with various government departments for months trying to figure out a way to avoid a blatant ban for unvaccinated players given Djokovic‘s position.

He is currently tied with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on 20 grand slam titles, and is one away from becoming the most decorated male player of all time.