for Novak Djokovic, the explanation or the return by “the first plane” – Liberation

To announce the news on Tuesday, on his networks, Novak Djokovic posted a photo on the tarmac of an airport (in Australia? in Serbia? elsewhere? we don’t know). Here it is: after weeks of procrastinating on his participation in the Australian Open, the dark angel of world tennis informs that he has an exemption allowing him to access, he who has never revealed his vaccination status , at Melbourne Courts.

It took twenty-four hours, and a big controversy, to arrive at this terrible bellows for the record holder of Australian major titles (nine): the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, has just instructed him to provide proof of this derogation. medical, or he will find himself again on a tarmac: “We are waiting for his presentation and for him to provide us with evidence to support [cette dérogation]. If this evidence is insufficient, then he will not be treated any differently than anyone else, and he will return home on the first plane. There will be no special rules for Novak Djokovic. Not the least.”

And that’s not all. The Serb’s Australian trip could well end before it even begins. Barely arrived at Melbourne airport on Wednesday, Novak Djokovic found himself blocked by local authorities. The Australian press reports that the player would not have completed the correct form to apply for a visa. Big problem: the visa he applied for does not authorize a medical exemption. “ Mr. Djokovic did not provide the appropriate documents to enter Australia and his visa was therefore cancelled. Foreign nationals who do not have a valid visa or whose visa has been canceled will be detained and deported from Australia”, Customs said. The Serb has appealed and his request must be considered this Thursday morning.

“Not for vaccines”

Earlier, Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley, also director of the first Grand Slam of the year, urged Djokovic to reveal “the conditions under which he requested and obtained an exemption. I encourage him to speak to the community about this… We have been through a very difficult time over the past two years and I would appreciate some responses to this.”

The Australian tennis boss, however, said that the world number 1 had not received any preferential treatment to obtain this exemption, during a process supervised by the Australian authorities and those of the State of Victoria. A total of 26 players or members of their staff, out of the approximately 3,000 expected in Australia, requested an exemption and only a few of them obtained it, he revealed. According to Craig Tiley, the two commissions responsible for examining requests for exemption do so without knowing the identity of the applicants.

Already winner of 20 Grand Slams, like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic is aiming for a record 21st title in Melbourne, his favorite tournament. For months, “Nole” had cast doubt on his participation in the first Grand Slam of the year, due to the obligation for players to be vaccinated against Covid-19 to enter Australia.

The Serb spoke out in April 2020 against compulsory vaccination, then envisaged to allow the resumption of tournaments: “Personally, I am not for vaccines. I would not like someone to force me to get vaccinated to travel.” He finally announced on Tuesday that he had obtained a medical exemption allowing him to make the trip. Australian regulations provide for this type of derogation in five specific cases (having contracted Covid-19 in the previous six months, serious medical contraindication, etc.) but the federation, invoking medical secrecy, refused to say which one applied to Djokovic.

“Spit in the face”

This decision has raised an outcry in Australia, where the measures put in place to fight Covid-19 have been particularly strict since the start of the pandemic. This is a “spitting in the face of every inhabitant of the State of Victoria and every Australian”, writes former tennis player Sam Groth, who has become a television commentator, in a column published by the daily Herald Sun de Melbourne. “I believe that if it was me who was not vaccinated, I would not have obtained an exemption”, complained for his part the British doubles player Jamie Murray, the brother of Andy, who is currently participating in the ATP Cup in Sydney.

Update : updated this Thursday at 7:20 a.m. with the appeal filed by Novak Djokovic.