Anger greets vaccine exemption for Novak Djokovic to play in the Australian Open

Given medical exemption ‘can’t be for physical reasons’, Rod Laver says he understands anger directed at Djokovic.

Novak Djokovic holds the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup trophy after winning the Australian Open in Melbourne last year. Picture: AFP

The joke was on the 20 million Australians who rolled up their sleeves to have the Covid-19 vaccine after tennis star Novak Djokovic received an exemption to play in the Australian Open.

How else to rationalise the ­decision to allow the anti-vaxxer Serb to defend his title at Melbourne Park without proof of vaccination?

As anger erupted over the waiver, with people from Scott Morrison to Djokovic’s fellow players weighing in, both Tennis Australia and the Victorian government insisted the World No. 1 had received no special treatment and the dispensation was open to anyone entering the country. Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said Djokovic would still have to show proof of a medical reason for being unvaccinated or face being turned away when he landed, as early as Thursday.

“While the Victorian government and Tennis Australia may permit a non-vaccinated player to compete in the Australian Open, it is the federal government that will enforce our requirements at the Australian border,” she said.

Tennis legend Rod Laver said he could understand Victorians’ anger at Djokovic being allowed to play and suggested it might be in his “best interests to own up’’ to the reason for his exemption.

“Yes, you’re a great player and you’ve performed and won so many tournaments, so, it can’t be physical. So what is the problem?” he said.

Novak Djokovic has refused to say whether he is vaccinated, maintaining it’s a personal matter. Picture: AFP

TA chief executive and tournament director Craig Tiley said two independent panels of experts had exempted Djokovic on undisclosed medical grounds, along with a “handful” of the 26 overseas players, hangers-on and officials who applied for a waiver.

“We completely understand and empathise with, first of all, some people being upset about the fact that Novak has come in ­because of his statements over the past couple of years around vaccination,” Mr Tiley said on Wednesday. “But it’s ultimately up to him to discuss with the public his condition, if he chooses to do that, and the reason why he received an exemption.” The decision was ­especially puzzling given the blunt warning Dan Andrews ­issued to Djokovic in October to either get vaccinated or stay home. “Those (grand slam) titles won’t protect you either,” the Victorian Premier said at the time.

It was left to Victorian ­Employment Minister Jaala Pulford to try to explain the about-face. Nothing to do with Djokovic’s standing in the game, she said, nor his drawcard appeal following the withdrawal of Swiss master Roger Federer.

“Novak isn’t coming to play the Australian Open because he’s the biggest tennis star of them all,” Ms Pulford said. “He’s coming because he has been able to demonstrate … that he has an eligibility under the rules that apply to everybody else in the country.”

But the response on Twitter by former Australian basketball star Andrew Bogut struck a chord with the sceptics: “Ha, ha, ha, ha … ha,” he tweeted.

Former Australian Medical Association vice-president Stephen Parnis said it sent an “appalling” message at a time when the nation was grappling with a devastating fourth wave of the virus. “I don’t care how good a tennis player he is. If he’s refusing to get vaccinated, he shouldn’t be ­allowed in,” the Melbourne-based emergency physician said.

Novak Djokovic with Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley in Melbourne last February. Picture: Getty Images

Geriatrician Kate Miller said Djokovic’s vaccine exemption was a “kick in the guts” after everything Victorians had been through during the pandemic. “All those lockdowns, all that suffering. Seriously?” she tweeted.

The Prime Minister pointed the finger at the Victorian government, but indicated the commonwealth would not stand in Djokovic’s way when he flew in.

Pressed on whether he backed the call, Mr Morrison said: “Well, that’s how it works. States provide exemptions for people to enter on those bases and that’s been happening for the last two years. So there’s no change to that … The Victorian government made their decision … And so I’d have to refer to the Victorian government about their reasons for doing so.”

Mr Tiley said both assessment boards had operated “blind”, without being told the names of those applying for exemption, ­including Djokovic. The recommendations of the Tennis Australia panel, comprising outside doctors and epidemiologists, were then reviewed by experts appointed by the Victorian health department.

The irony is that “Joker” Djokovic’s carefree approach to Covid may have turned out to be a trump card after he repeatedly ­refused to reveal his vaccination status. Unless he secretly had major surgery or experienced an allergic reaction to the jab – among the few grounds for exemption from the vaccine mandate – the most likely show-cause was that he had PCR-confirmed evidence of contracting Covid in the past six months.

Djokovic’s exemption prompted questions on Wednesday from the nation’s most celebrated tennis star Rod Laver, who said Djokovic should explain the exemption.

I think it might get ugly,” Laver told the Herald Sun.

“I would think the Victorian people would be thinking ‘yes I would love to see him play and compete but at the same time, there’s a right way and a wrong way’.”

If so, it would be the lanky Serb’s second bout with the coronavirus. In June 2020, Djokovic, his wife, former top-three player Gregor Dimitrov, and others in their orbit tested positive while taking part in a short-lived exhibition tour, staged with minimal ­infection control. Djokovic recovered in time to play in the US Open eight weeks later.

He has refused to say whether he was subsequently vaccinated, maintaining this was a personal matter. In November, after Mr Tiley announced only inoculated players would be allowed to compete at the Open, Djokovic’s ­father, Srdjan, called the policy “blackmail” and said his son would probably boycott it.

Djokovic used two exclamation points and an emoji of a flexed biceps to announce he was on his way. “I’m heading Down Under with an exemption permission. Let’s go 2022!!,” he trumpeted on Instagram.

The row is unlikely to improve his relationship with an often-hostile Melbourne Park crowd when he has so much to play for: an unparalleled 10th Australian Open and 21st grand slam, one up on Federer and Rafael Nadal, tied with him on 20 majors.

Australians James Duckworth and Alex de Minaur played a dead racket when asked at the Sydney ATP tournament about Djokovic. “He must have fit the criteria somehow,” Duckworth said. “That’s very politically correct of you,” de Minaur replied. “I just think it’s very interesting. That’s all I am going to say.”

Additional reporting: Rachel Baxendale, Emily Benammar