Only three top professionals unvaccinated
Djokovic is apparently almost alone
01/19/2022, 10:50 am
Novak Djokovic is causing a lot of fuss in the run-up to the Australian Open: the Serb wanted to travel to the tournament unvaccinated, and his visa was ultimately annulled. With his attitude among the top professionals, Djokovic is apparently in a lost position.
According to information from the British newspaper “Telegraph”, Novak Djokovic is one of only three tennis professionals from the top 100 men and women who have not yet been vaccinated against the corona virus. Among the men, apart from Djokovic, only the American Tennys Sandgren has not been vaccinated, the newspaper reported, citing the men’s professional organization ATP. The women’s professional organization WTA confirmed that only one player from the top 100 in the world rankings was not vaccinated. It is not known whether the player, who is not named, will be present at the current Australian Open in Melbourne.
In December, the “Herald Sun” reported that Pierre-Hugues Herbert, a player for Australia, had withdrawn because he did not want to be vaccinated. The Frenchman explained that he was “personally unvaccinated. Traveling to Australia is not an option for me.” He does not want to reconsider his attitude towards vaccination: “For me it is a personal decision not to be vaccinated.” Herbert is not part of the top 100 but is one of the best doubles players in the world. The Frenchman won the Melbourne title alongside friend and doubles partner Nicolas Mahut in 2019.
Mahut took the decision with cautious understanding. “I’m not on the side of people who judge and say it’s good or bad. I respect his decision. I didn’t make that choice, I got the vaccine very early on, but I totally understand it,” he said the Frenchman. “It’s a very personal choice. Pierre-Hugues probably talks to me the least about it. This is an extremely sensitive issue. I don’t want to get into a possible controversy. I’m just saying to myself that this is a position that you have as a tennis player can’t hold it easily.” In Australia, Mahut is now competing with his compatriot Fabrice Martin.
Djokovic’s ‘absence is a loss to the game’
In principle, Australia only allowed vaccinated professionals to participate in the first Grand Slam tournament of the season. The world number one Djokovic had tried to enter with a special permit. However, the Serb was forced to leave the country after a legal tug of war on Sunday night after the federal court upheld the renewed annulment of his visa by Immigration Secretary Alex Hawke.
ATP commented on the ruling: “Today’s decision to uphold Novak Djokovic’s Australian visa cancellation marks the end of a deeply regrettable series of events,” it said in a statement. “Ultimately, decisions by judicial authorities on public health issues must be respected. More time will be needed to take stock of all the facts and learn lessons from this situation. Regardless of how this is achieved, Novak is one of the greatest champions of our sport , and his absence from the Australian Open is a loss to the game.”
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