Daniel Andrews issues blunt reply to Australian Open vaccination storm

Dan Andrews has made his position clear by weighing in on the Australian Open vaccination storm sparked by a leaked email.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews doesn’t believe unvaccinated tennis players should be allowed to compete in this summer’s Australian Open.

He made his position clear after a leaked email to WTA players claimed unvaccinated stars would be allowed to compete in the year’s first grand slam after completing 14 days of hotel quarantine Down Under.

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The email from the governing body of women’s tennis says fully vaccinated players won’t have to quarantine or remain in bubbles at all during the major, which is scheduled to take place in Melbourne in January.

As revealed in the email, which was posted on social media by tennis reporter Ben Rothenberg, unvaccinated players “must submit to regular testing” whereas fully vaccinated stars “will have complete freedom of movement”.

However, Mr Andrews says if everyone else at Melbourne Park needs to be fully vaccinated to attend, then the same rules should apply to players.

“You try getting into the US … most of Europe, really, so many different parts of Asia if you haven’t been vaccinated,” Andrews told ABC radio. “Like, you’re just not getting a visa – why would that be different here?

“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. 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.”

Responding to the leaked email drama on Monday, Victorian Sports and Major Events Minister Martin Pakula told 3AW radio a plan on vaccination standards for tennis players was “not settled”.

“We are still resolving with Tennis Australia and the Commonwealth whether unvaccinated foreign nationals will be allowed into Australia at all, and if so, under what circumstances they will be allowed,” Mr Pakula said.

“Unvaccinated, we are still talking to the Commonwealth about whether the rule for international unvaccinated arrivals is either 14 days quarantine, or they are not coming into the country at all. We don’t expect that to be settled for another couple of weeks.

“In the end, it’s a federal decision about who gets into the country and the circumstances in which they get in. We are still having that conversation with them. And we’re obviously talking to Tennis Australia who is also talking to the Commonwealth.

“We’ll get all that sorted in plenty of time for every player on the tour to be very clear about what the rules will be. The one thing that we have assured them all, is that the vaccinated players will be treated the same way as any other vaccinated entrant to the country.”

The details sent to players from the governing body of women’s tennis came after strong comments made by Australian politicians last week. Immigration Minister Alex Hawke said last Wednesday any sports stars hoping to compete in Australian competitions this summer would need to have had both doses of a TGA-approved vaccine.

Novak Djokovic hasn’t revealed publicly if he is vaccinated or not. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Novak Djokovic, the top ranked male player in the world who is chasing his fourth straight Australian Open title and 10th overall, has spoken in the past of his anti-vax tendencies. He has declined to reveal whether he has been vaccinated against Covid-19, telling Serbian newspaper Blic last week that it was a “private matter”.

“Things beings 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.

“Of course I want to go, Australia is my most successful grand slam tournament. I want to compete, I love this sport and I am still motivated.

“I am following the situation regarding the Australian Open … I believe there will be a lot of restrictions just like this year, but I doubt there will be too many changes.”

Meanwhile, Australian superstar Ash Barty has returned home after spending much of the year abroad and said she doesn’t have a problem with people who don’t want to make their vaccination status public.

“I didn’t feel there was a need for me to tell everyone whether I was vaccinated or not,’’ Barty said at an autograph signing session in Brisbane on the weekend.

“I have been vaccinated my whole life.

“I think players are entitled to … at the end of the day it’s part of your medical history. You understand people make decisions for different reasons and you have to respect that.

“From my point of view it’s personal to me. I had my vaccine in April. I was fit and healthy and I was doing it for the people around me to make sure we were safe. There is no judgment for me or necessity for me to see what others have done.’’