Novak Djokovic is out of the Australian Open.
And out of Australia.
Djokovic was deported on Sunday night after he lost his final appeal to reverse the court’s decision to cancel his visa. The world No. 1 was in the draw for this year’s first Grand Slam when the ceremony was held Thursday and the ultimate verdict did not even come in until after Monday’s schedule of play was released at 4:00 pm on Sunday — on which he was scheduled for the last match in Rod Laver Arena. He was replaced at the top of the bracket by lucky loser Salvatore Caruso.
Had Djokovic’s forced exit come a few hours earlier prior to the Day 1 order of play being issued, the draw would have been rearranged. No. 5 seed Andrey Rublev would have moved into Djokovic’s spot, No. 17 Gael Monfils would have replaced Rublev, and Alexander Bublik would have become the No. 33 seed in Monfils’ previous position.
Instead, the top half of the draw is suddenly far more open than it was on Sunday morning.
Djokovic won’t be around first-hand to see how it plays out.
“I am extremely disappointed with the Court ruling to dismiss my application for judicial review of the Minister’s decision to cancel my visa, which means I cannot stay in Australia and participate in the Australian Open,” Djokovic stated prior to leaving. “I respect the Court’s ruling and I will cooperate with the relevant authorities in relation to my departure from the country.”
Tennis Australia, which certainly hasn’t heard the end of this controversy, released the following: “Tennis Australia respects the decision of the Federal Court. As per Grand Slam rules the No.1 position in the draw has been filled by a Lucky Loser. The updated schedule for Monday 17 January can be viewed here. We look forward to a competitive and exciting Australian Open 2022 and wish all players the best of luck.”
As the tournament begins, an unprecedented 10-day saga ends. It began when Djokovic–who is unvaccinated–flew to Melbourne last Thursday after Tennis Australia granted him a medical exemption. Long story short: his visa was immediately canceled upon arrival, he spent four days in detention at the Park Hotel, a first appeal was successful, his visa was canceled again a few days later, and Sunday’s appeal was unsuccessful.
The 34-year-old Serb would have been bidding for a 10th Australian Open title and 21st Grand Slam. Now–with Roger Federer also sidelined–it is Rafael Nadal who has the only chance to reach 21 this month.
discuss.
This was an entirely avoidable situation and it makes everyone involved look bad. I don’t have a single positive thing to say about this raging dumpster fire. I will say this though. Once the details of his positive test came to light, the result (deportation) was never in doubt.
” He’s Gone.” (Grateful Dead, 1971)….let the Games begin.
DISGRACE!
World has gone crazy.
Australia is a sh*thole.
Although I have been hoping that Djoko would surpass Rafa and Roger, I was happy to see the Aussies hold the line here. Someone has to act like an adult. Djoko’s walkabout started with the bizarre lineswoman in the throat episode and his foray into vaccine denial had only made the situation even more absurd. Shades of Jimbo feigning anal sex with Nasty on the court a generation ago. My man Murray’s going nowhere anymore so bring on the next generation asap, please. 🙂
I never liked Djokovic because I always regarded him as an a-hole which tries to get as much attention as possible.
However, the way this unfolded did not bring me any joy, it rather left a sour taste in my mouth. This time around, it’s not entirely Novax’ fault. This was a disgusting mix of incompetence and foul play which just found the perfect main antagonist.
It’s just been announced that all athletes who want to compete in France will have to be vaccinated.
So he will have to get vaccinated to play RG ( nearly everywhere is going to adopt this policy)
amy,
Thank you! I thought this might happen. I hope we don’t have a repeat of what happened at the AO.
They said that at the USO last year only about half the players were vaccinated. This time it’s 97 out of 100 gif the men I believe. When it came down that players would have to be vaccinated then they started getting the vaccine.
If Novak wants to play he has to get vaccinated. No more trying to find ways around it.
They just said that in Florida ICU beds are at 82% capacity,
Little Hitler is doing a great job at letting this virus spread. All the time spewing out crap about Florida being a beacon of freedom. Irresponsibility is more like it. Insanity.
Go to Florida and die. That should be his slogan. I am disgusted and ashamed.
De Santis is a moral free zone nny. But then so are nearly all the GOP.
The nihilism of the right atm everywhere is incredible. The GOP are a death cult.
amy,
You said it! I consider the GOP to be a neo-fascist party now. They are a death cult. They are dividing the country, spreading fear and hatred and trying to set it up to rig the election in 2024. They are flat out letting people die of the virus.
Listening to De Santis going on about people coming to Florida to be free, is almost laughable. It takes some kind of chutzpah to talk about freedom as you enact cuter suppression laws, try to stop legal abortions and allow ICU beds to fill up until there are none left.
VOTER suppression laws!
First of all a happy and healthy new year to all grandstand tennis fans 🙂
I had very little interest in tennis during the last season since there was so much turmoil privately and all over the world. But the saga of Djokovic trying to force his entry into Australia without a vaccine in order to compete nevertheless for his 21st slam trophy at the AO 22 didn’t escape my notice.
I have family members who have developed severe cases of long-covid, and I have very little patience right now with the anti-vaxxer crowd, who IMO are fuelling and prolonging the pandemic. I acknowledge, though, that most of them do not see themselves as selfish and irresponsible because they have formed the misguided but sincere opinion that the vaccines might cause more overall harm than the majority of natural corona infections. And it is of course everybody’s right to voice this opinion. But I also expect them to shoulder the consequenses of their opinions and actions. If Novak refuses to get jabbed, he should man up and stay out of locations and events where a vaccine is mandatory, and I despise his apparent sly underhandedness and obvious irresponsibility in this whole saga! How could he take part in public events and without a mask, when he should have been secluded at home after allegedly having been tested positive!! And after having read in a few very respected German magazines about the research which has been done in the dubious data and murky circumstances of Novak’s allegedly positive corona test in Dec. 2021, while he was at home in Serbia, I have frankly a very hard time to believe in this oh so very timely and conveniently totally asymptomatic infection, which should have been his entry ticket into the AO 22. Therefore I am glad that he ultimately failed to compete without being vaccined.
That said, the Australian authorities and the executives of the AO have acted very poorly, too, IMO. The whole ignoble saga would not have happened, if the possibility of participating at the AO with a vaccine exemption for medical reasons had not been created. This smells like a golden but nevertheless rotten bridge which has been created specifically with the defending champ DjokerNole in mind! And it is also regrettable that Novak’s case has been abused by some members of the Australian government for political propaganda in an election year. But ultimately I am glad that Novak’s AO campaign has been finally unplugged for good in a last-ditch ruling – even if this bizarre circus should never have happened in the first place.
Oh well, let’s hope that we will now be able to see a few really good tennis matches. And I also hope that this farce doesn’t start all over again before other major tournaments.
Good to see you here again, Littlefoot! So sorry about your family members with long haul covid & hope they will eventually recover. I’m 82 years old and take the anti-vax nonsense very personally! Covid would probably be a death sentence for me and/or my husband. Getting vaxxed was a tremendous relief! So I agree with everything you wrote above.
Ramara, I wish you and your family all the best! And you are right, people in your age group can be in grave danger if they contract covid! Last year I and my sisters had to care for our mother, and her doctor immediately vaccined the whole family, including those who were at the time still on the waiting list because we were not old enough. But he argued that this was necessary for protecting my 86 years old mother, since we had such a close contact with her. Luckily no one – not even my gravely ill mother – experienced any side effects!
Since professional tennis players have to travel all over the world, they can become superspreaders if they or someone from their entourages catch the virus. It’s a no-brainer to make covid-vacccines mandatory!
I do not believe that a lone tennis player like Djokovic posed a grave danger for the whole Australian population. But it would have been a disaster if his lying and scheeming had been successful! This would have been the wrong message!
https://www.skynews.com.au/world-news/leaked-email-confirms-novak-djokovic-will-not-be-able-to-compete-at-2022-french-open-due-to-new-vaccine-laws/news-story/e05eb7ff955800d6f6340026140dd15f
Can anyone see Nadal losing with so much to play for?
Yes
What’s your point Ricky? You’ve got a bee in your bonnet about something.
I’m not saying he will win but I think his chances have improved considerably with that very timely announcement. He gets 2 bites of the cherry this year and is the beneficiary of someone else’s misfortune.
Anonymus, I wonder about your point 😉
It is obvious that Rafa’s chances have improved because the one player against whom he hasn’t won on hardcourt for ages, is out. But this doesn’t mean that he is the top favorite now. Djokovic’s exit might indeed provide a strong mental boost for Rafa which should not be underestimated. But there are still a few formidable players around who have beaten Rafa on hardcourt, and they have a very good chance against him because Rafa has been out for such a long time. And he also has contracted covid recently, which – unlike Novak’s alleged infection – was unfortunately not without symptoms like feaver and intense fatigue. Rafa has nevertheless played surpringly well so far, and he has demonstrated many times that he is able to come back and reach a high level quickly because of his experience and his strong mentality. But right now no one can predict how his 35 years old battered body will hold up when he faces top tier opponents. Zverev, Tsitsipas and Medvedev are still there after all, and they have played very well so far. And since all of them have reached one or more slam finals they are experienced by now. They are not apprentices any more. We have to wait and see. I wouldn’t be totally surprised if Rafa wins the AO, and as a Rafafan I would be delighted. But right now I think that Medwedew and Zverev are the top favorites.
Just yest you said Rafa does not have more than 20 pc chance against Z..today you say the opposite
You work it out; I’m not here to educate you guys on a daily basis.
No prizes for guessing why you are posting as ‘Anonymous’.
That’s right! Anyone who can’t post under a user name instead of hiding under “Anonymous” should not be lecturing anyone on this site about educating them. Pathetic!
Australian Open
‘Novak is like Christ’: Belgrade’s poster boy still adored back home
Those who know the Djokovics say there are two Novaks: the globalist and philanthropist; and the uneducated product of his “chauvinistic” father.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/novak-is-like-christ-belgrade-s-poster-boy-still-adored-back-home-20220121-p59q1x.html
Lol
It was widely reported that the no jab no play approach in France would effectively rule Djokovic out of the May slam.
However, according to reports in Europe, France’s vaccination passports will provide exemption to those who have contracted the virus in the last six months.
Djokovic claims he tested positive on December 16 2021 which would see him squeeze Roland Garros into the 26 week window.
The French Open is scheduled to begin on May 22nd and end on June 5th.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/tennis/australian-open-2022-day-7-live-scores-results-updates-nick-kyrgios-thanasi-kokkinakis-and-ash-barty-play/news-story/2c8037062c97791afd575b31165302ab