‘We continue to strongly recommend vaccination for all players on the Tour and look forward to an exciting few weeks of tennis!’ ATP issues stern statement regarding Novak Djokovic’s situation in Melbourne
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Novak Djokovic
Since the start of 2022, all eyes from all over the world were on one man- Novak Djokovic. A few weeks ago, Tennis Australia announced that only vaccinated players will be allowed to compete at the Australian Open. As for Djokovic, he still isn’t vaccinated and hence got medical exemptions to play the 2022 Australian Open.
But when Djokovic landed in Australia, the Victorian government cancelled his visa and he was told to travel back to Serbia. Interestingly, Djokovic decided to stay in Melbourne and protested his claim in the judicial court. On Monday, he won the case and is set to play the Australian Open.
Men’s tennis ruling body, ATP, has now issued a statement for the first time on the case. The statement said that while ATP respects the sacrifices the people of Australia have made, it is clear that Djokovic has been granted the medical exemptions to comply the entry regulations.
“The ATP fully respects the sacrifices the people of Australia have made since the onset of COVID-19 and the stringent immigration policies that have been put in place. Complications in recent days related to player entry into Australia have however highlighted the need for clearer understanding, communication and application of the rules,” the statement read.
“In travelling to Melbourne, it’s clear Novak Djokovic believed he had been granted a necessary medical exemption in order to comply with entry regulations. The series of events leading to Monday’s court hearing have been damaging on all fronts, including for Novak’s well being and preparation for the Australian Open. Player medical exemption requests are made independently of ATP, however we have been in constant contact with Tennis Australia to seek clarity throughout this process. We welcome the outcome of Monday’s hearing and look forward to an exciting few weeks of tennis ahead.”
Adding to the same, they said that ATP urges all the players on tour to get vaccinated for health reasons. They also added that 97 out of the top 100 players on the tour are vaccinated.
“More broadly, ATP continues to strongly recommend vaccination for all players on the ATP Tour, which we believe is essential for our sport to navigate the pandemic. This is based on scientific evidence supporting the health benefits provided and to comply with global travel regulations, which we anticipate will become stricter over time. We are encouraged that 97 per cent of the Top 100 players are vaccinated leading into this year’s Australian Open,” they concluded.
Djokovic practices for the first time on Rod Laver Arena in 2022
As soon as Djokovic was allowed to stay in Melbourne by the judicial court, he went straight to Melbourne Park and practiced at the Rod Laver Arena. He also shared a picture of himself with his team from the arena and thanked his fans for their extensive support.
Having said that, while Djokovic could realistically be deported once again from Australia, it looks very unlikely and he looks set to defend his Australian Open title after a chaotic week.
Also read: Nick Kyrgios announces tragic news ahead of Australian Open 2022
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Lakshya Chopra
(2597 Articles Published)