No Winners Here

Whether Novak Djokovic ends up being allowed to play in the Australian Open or not, he's already lost.  So have the tournament organizers.  And the Australian government.  And really anyone involved in this entire saga, which still isn't over.

It didn't have to be this way.  But Djokovic made his choice, which he was completely entitled to do.  And, as Rafael Nadal pointed out, that choice came with consequences that he's now paying.  It's not like he was singled out or they suddenly changed their policy.  Players have known for months that there would be a vaccine requirement to play in the Australian Open!  And the speculation about Djokovic's status for the tournament he's won nine times has been going nearly as long.

I love it how every time there's an article about somebody who's unvaccinated, be it Kyrie Irving, Novak Djokovic, Aaron Rodgers or any number of Republicans in Congress, they're very careful to say "XXXXXX's vaccination status is unclear" as if we're stupid and can't figure out on our own that they aren't.  If you need to be fully vaccinated to do something and they can't do it, it's pretty obvious why.  (Likewise, everyone who thinks they're clever by invoking their right to privacy to not discuss their vaccination status is pretty much confirming that they're not.  Otherwise, they'd have no issue talking about it.)

Although, we didn't need the "medical exemption" or what happened at the Melbourne airport to know that Novak Djokovic isn't vaccinated.  His public comments have made his stance pretty clear.  Then there was his father suggesting the Australian Open was trying to blackmail him into getting it.  If he was already vaccinated why would the tournament requiring it be an issue?  Likewise, if he was already vaccinated, why would he need a medical exemption? 

Djokovic is making himself out to be a victim here.  He's anything but.  And, frankly, what happened "to" him shouldn't have been a surprise.  Even if how it went down was flat out weird!

Let's start with the dubious medical exemption, which is what got the ball rolling in the first place.  Tennis Australia insists all of the applications were blind and that his was one of only a handful that were accepted.  Whether it's true that the process was blind or not doesn't really matter.  Because it screams "special treatment!"  Especially since Djokovic's stance on the vaccine is so well-known.  Yet he somehow qualified for a medical exemption, an option that wasn't even possible until a few weeks ago?

Some explanation would've been helpful.  Why was his application approved when so many others weren't?  The assumption is that he's had COVID within the last six months, which is one of the reasons Tennis Australia listed as a reason for a player to potentially be granted a medical exemption.  If that's the case, it's taking advantage of a loophole.  If that's not the case, then they really need to say so.  Because otherwise, it sure looks like they created a separate set of rules that apply only to Novak Djokovic while everyone else has to follow the previous rules.

Meanwhile, as we've learned, being allowed to enter the tournament and being allowed to enter the country are not the same thing.  The issue here is the type of visa.  The one he applied for doesn't allow medical exemptions.  So, since he couldn't provide the proper paperwork once his flight landed in Australia, his visa application was rejected.

That's where we currently stand.  Djokovic is quarantined in a hotel waiting to see whether he'll be allowed into the country or be forced to return home.  They expedited his hearing, which will be on Monday, after which we'll know once and for all whether he'll be going for a 10th Australian Open title or not.  Although, if he is allowed to play, don't expect the Melbourne crowd to embrace him.  In fact, I'd expect the reaction to be very hostile.

We can't overlook that part of the whole situation.  Australia has had some of the strictest COVID restrictions anywhere in the world.  So it didn't exactly sit well with Australians who had to endure two months-long lockdowns to see an unvaccinated foreigner be allowed to enter the country and not have to quarantine or anything when even some vaccinated Australians can't.  Again, it reeks of special treatment.  (Djokovic's tweet from the airport saying he was on his way to Australia didn't help, either.)

Did the Australian public's reaction prompt the government's response?  Perhaps.  I'd even say, "most likely."  The visa issue probably could've been resolved right there at the Melbourne airport.  But, the fact is Tennis Australia put both the federal and state government in an impossible position.  They could either let him in, piss off their own citizens and also be accused of giving Djokovic special treatment or they could enforce the same rules that apply to everyone else who isn't the top-ranked tennis player in the world, take the PR hit and deal with the (predictable) legal fight.

There are, of course, plenty of people on both sides of the issue.  Djokovic has plenty of supporters who argue that his vaccination status is nobody else's business and that he did everything within the rules.  He applied for and received the medical exemption, which should be enough for him to be allowed to play and he's unfairly being singled out because of who he is.

Except the other side is making that exact same argument!  Novak Djokovic shouldn't be treated differently because of who he is, but that's exactly what he wants.  He thinks that because he's Novak Djokovic, he shouldn't have to get vaccinated, but should still be able to travel freely around the world (in the middle of a global pandemic!) to play tennis.  Because he's a famous athlete, he should get special privileges that us everyday schmoes aren't worthy of.

This problem isn't limited to Australia, either.  Each country has its own laws and is handling COVID its own way.  And many of them are requiring any foreigners entering the country to be fully vaccinated.  That includes France, Great Britain and the United States.  So, Djokovic could conceivably run into this same issue before each Grand Slam this season.

Now, there's one obvious solution to all of this.  If Djokovic was vaccinated, he wouldn't be in this situation.  He'd be able to travel freely around the world (which is a requirement for his job) and not have to worry about quarantines or any other COVID-related restrictions.  And, frankly, it would be the responsible thing to do for a person whose job it is to be in a different country every week.

Instead, we've got this mess.  A situation that was entirely avoidable where everybody looks bad.  Make no mistake, though.  Tennis Australia and the Australian government are only in this situation because of Novak Djokovic.  So, yes, this is very much about him.  It always has been.  He made sure of that.