Novak Djokovic decision: So close to history....but when will he play again?
It took less than two hours for this plan to be ripped up. Some may consider it wishful thinking that the unvaccinated Serbian would be successful in the judicial review against the cancellation of his visa by the Australian government, but the tournament organisers had come under pressure from some of the other 127 players in the top halves of the singles draws, eagerly waiting to find out when they would be required to step on the court.
This is just one element of the chaos that the Djokovic saga had caused over the past 13 days, ever since he triumphantly announced on social media that he was en route to Australia after receiving a medical exemption from a Covid vaccine. No wonder, then, that a collective sigh of relief was breathed by many at Melbourne Park when the news filtered through yesterday (Sunday) that the federal court had confirmed the deportation of the world No 1.
I know too little to judge the situation.
— Alize Cornet (@alizecornet) January 16, 2022
What I know is that Novak is always the first one to stand for the players. But none of us stood for him.
Be strong @DjokerNole
While there is some sympathy in the locker room for the politicised bureaucratic minefield in which Djokovic found himself mired, it is firmly for the best that he will take no part in the first grand-slam of the season. Given the controversial series of events here, even he acknowledged that his continuing presence would have overshadowed the rest of the action on the hard courts of Melbourne.
“I am uncomfortable that the focus of the past weeks has been on me and I hope that we can all now focus on the game and tournament I love,” a statement from Djokovic, 34, read. “I would like to wish the players, tournament officials, staff, volunteers and fans all the best for the tournament.”
Djokovic has a knack for bouncing back from adversity, but losing the chance to win a record 21st grand-slam men’s singles title at his favourite tournament will severely test his resolve. He could also lose his No 1 ranking, with the door open for Russia’s Daniil Medvedev and Germany’s Alexander Zverev if either can finish this fortnight as the new Australian Open champion.
There is clearly much to ponder for Djokovic on the long journey back to Europe, which began yesterday (Sunday) on an Emirates flight from Melbourne to Dubai.
Just when it seemed in recent months that his popularity was on the rise, his reputation is in tatters. Even his most dedicated supporters find it hard to defend his decision last month to take part in an interview and photo shoot with the French newspaper L’Equipe, two days after testing positive for Covid-19.
Djokovic may also wish to reflect on his choice not to get vaccinated. Merely one dose of the Johnson & Johnson jab would have been enough to have met the conditions for a swift passage through Australian border control, and he is likely to face difficulties elsewhere on the tour in future because of the growing number of mandatory vaccine requirements. The “sunshine swing” of American hard-court tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami in March will probably be off limits as a result.
Predictions of a comeback at April’s Masters event in Monte Carlo, where Djokovic resides for most of the year, seem plausible. His statement yesterday (Sunday) confirmed that he would take “some time to rest and to recuperate”, and a break of three months before returning for the European clay-court season would make sense.
Novak would never have gone to Australia if he had not been given an exemption to enter the country by the government (which he did receive; hence Judge Kelly’s initial ruling). He would have skipped the Australian Open and been home with his family and no one would be.. [1/2]
— Vasek Pospisil (@VasekPospisil) January 16, 2022
The odds of Djokovic finishing his career statistically as the greatest male player of all time still look good. He is level with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on 20 major trophies, and younger than both. But his legacy has undoubtedly been tarnished by this whole affair and he will certainly not be winning the subjective popularity contest among the “big three”.
Djokovic will at least be comforted by the public show of support from some of his allies on the tour yesterday (Sunday). There had been doubts as to whether he could continue in his position as one of the leading figures in the Professional Tennis Players Association, but his co-founder rushed online to question the motives behind the decision to send him home.
“Novak would never have gone to Australia if he had not been given an exemption to enter the country by the government,” Vasek Pospisil, the Canadian world No 134, tweeted. “He would have skipped the Australian Open and been home with his family and no one would be talking about this mess.
“There was a political agenda at play here with the [Australian] elections coming up which couldn’t be more obvious. This is not his fault. He did not force his way into the country and did not ‘make his own rules’. He was ready to stay home.”
Even a former critic of the nine-times Australian Open champion could not help but feel bad for Djokovic. “We’re treating him like he’s a weapon of mass destruction,” Nick Kyrgios, the Australian player, told the No Boundaries podcast, before adding that Djokovic had sent his thanks through the social media network Instagram for “standing up” for him. It was yet another twist towards the end of this astonishing tale, the likes of which the sport will surely never see again.
How the saga unfolded
January 4: Djokovic reveals that he is free to compete in Australia.
January 5: Djokovic is stopped at passport control after arriving at Melbourne’s Tullamarine airport.
January 6: The Australian Border Force cancels Djokovic’s visa, rejecting Covid-19 infection as a reason to enter the country unvaccinated. Djokovic, who was sent to an immigration detention hotel in the early hours of the morning, launches an appeal.
January 10: The federal circuit court overturns the termination of Djokovic’s visa, but the Australian government states that Alex Hawke, the immigration minister, retains the power to cancel it.
January 13: Djokovic draws Miomir Kecmanovic in the Australian Open first round.
January 14: Hawke announces that Djokovic’s visa has been cancelled on public interest grounds. Djokovic’s camp launches a second appeal.
January 15: Djokovic is sent back to the same detention hotel he previously stayed in.
January 16: Federal judges unanimously reject Djokovic’s appeal, and he is deported that night.
The Times
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Shortly after 4pm in Melbourne yesterday (Sunday), the order of play for day one of the Australian Open was released. Scheduled to begin his bid for a tenth title here was Novak Djokovic, given a prime-time slot in the Rod Laver Arena night session.