What is the truth in the Novak Djokovic saga? We might never know but it has a smell about it.
For months, Djokovic, known for his reticence about taking a covid-19 vaccine, kept a lot of the world on tenterhooks as to whether he would play in the 2022 Australian Open.
This wouldn’t be just any tournament. Djokovic has won it more times than any other player … ever. He is the joint-leading Tennis Major winner with 20 titles – with Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal, competing in a golden era for men’s tennis. The Australian Open in 2022 offered a very real opportunity that he would win his 21st – possibly in a final against his great rival Nadal.
When Djokovic announced via Twitter that he had received a medical exemption from the Australian government requirement to be vaccinated to enter the country, there was a hullabaloo. Many claimed that the tennis player had an obligation to publicly explain his exemption and give details as to what the medical reasons were, despite having received the exemption from two panels established by the Australians.
Tennis Australia said players seeking an exemption went through a two-stage process, with their application first considered by a panel of experts in Tennis Australia, and then an assessment from the Victorian government.
That didn’t matter. Djokovic was expected to publicly proclaim his health situation. The panels were not to be trusted it seems. Who knows, maybe there was some sort of swindle but why should that be the default assumption?
Australian Prime Minister weighed in, stating, ““if he is not vaccinated he must provide acceptable proof that he cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons … If that evidence is insufficient, then he won’t be treated any different to anyone else and will be on the next plane home – there should be no special rules for Novak Djokovic.”
For no reason, the Australian PM hinted in advance that Djokovic would have some challenges with his visa. Then the rumours started. Initially it was claimed – or thought – that he or his entourage had applied for the wrong type of visa. Then it was claimed that he was interrogated for hours about his exemption while being detained at the border.
What seems clear is that for publicity and political reasons, the Australian government had decided that they were going to make it difficult for Djokovic to enter the country without a vaccination, irrespective of his exemption.
Prime Minister Morrison was quick to tweet: “Mr Djokovic’s visa has been cancelled. Rules are rules, especially when it comes to our borders. No one is above these rules. Our strong border policies have been critical to Australia having one of the lowest death rates in the world from COVID, we are continuing to be vigilant.”
No clarity on the rules that have been broken have been shared so far. Was it an administrative error as initially claimed? If it was, while many seem to glory in the mix-up, common sense would allow for it to be addressed. This isn’t special treatment, it is mere reasonableness, but the visa issues offers the liberty-averse PM who is under pressure with an election looming, to make a statement about the high-mindedness of the Australian government.
In a strange piece, Spectator Australian Editor Terry Barnes accuses Djokovic of treating the Australians like mugs, laughing, seemingly, in the face of their sacrifices through the year, as if the tennis player has some responsibility for the rules imposed by their own government. He claims Djokovic “could not, or would not, show that he had a valid medical reason to be exempted from Australia’s border rules”, yet somehow got passed the two independent medical panels?
As with other commentators, it becomes clear that the issue is not with the visa, or the exemption, but Djokovic’s unwillingness to get vaccinated, describing his “tin-eared, almost messianic, social media announcement about his medical exemption.
The quality of his exemption has been forgotten in the latter discussion. His playing partner, Nadal, interjected “The only…clear thing is if you are vaccinated, you can play the Australian Open and everywhere, and the world, in my opinion, has been suffering enough to not follow the rules.”
But this only begs the question: what rules did Djokovic not follow? We await an answer.
Coming back to Barnes, the principle of freedom of choice, of medical bodily autonomy, are foregone in any considerations of covid vaccination. Choosing not to be vaccinated is an unqualified, unforgiveable fault and any consequences of that are fully deserved, irrespective of the context.
“The joke is now on Novak Djokovic. Had he been fully vaccinated like Nadal, there would be no outrage about him entering Australia and he would have had a great shot of winning the 2022 Australian Open title and breaking that Grand Slam record. He would have been able to enter Melbourne Park on the same terms as the rest of we lesser mortals. Djokovic only has himself to blame for this sorry saga.”
The message is clear: choose not to get vaccinated and no matter the consequences, whatever punishments, restrictions or rules are put in place, you have only yourself to blame. You have no excuses. There are no legitimate reasons. Covid vaccines are an unqualified good. You are a tin-hat wearing messianic fool if you have reservations.
Dualta Roughneen