A government official said on Tuesday said that unvaccinated tennis players and other athletes are unlikely to be granted visas to enter Australia. Victoria state will not do special deals with unvaccinated athletes to allow them to participate in major events. Novak Djokovic is one of the few tennis players who are yet to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and as a result, he might have to reconsider his stance on the vaccine ahead of the Australian Open.
“I don’t think an unvaccinated tennis player is going to get a visa to come into this country. And if they did get a visa they’d probably have to quarantine for a couple of weeks,” Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews said.
“I don’t think that the person you indicated (Djokovic) or any other tennis player. Let’s not personalize it, or golfer or Formula One driver will even get a visa to get here. If I’m wrong I’m sure the federal government will let you know. The virus doesn’t care what your tennis ranking is, or how many Grand Slams you’ve won. It’s completely irrelevant. You need to be vaccinated to keep yourself safe and to keep others safe.”
Djokovic unwilling to reveal vaccination status
World No 1 Djokovic declined to reveal his vaccination status again this week. Novak said he was unsure if he would defend his Australian Open title in Melbourne as authorities work out COVID-19 restrictions for the tournament.
“Things beings as they are, I still don’t know if I will go to Melbourne. I will not reveal my status whether I have been vaccinated or not. It is a private matter and an inappropriate inquiry. People go too far these days in taking the liberty to ask questions and judge a person. Whatever you say ‘yes, no, maybe, I am thinking about it,’ they will take advantage,” said Novak Djokovic as quoted by the online edition of Serbian daily Blic.
‘I want to compete, I love this sport and I am still motivated’
Djokovic is currently tied with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on a record 20 Grand Slam titles. Djokovic has won the opening grand slam of the year a record nine times, including the last three editions.
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“Of course, I want to go, Australia is my most successful Grand Slam tournament. I want to compete, I love this sport and I am still motivated. I am following the situation regarding the Australian Open. And I understand the final decision will be made in two weeks. Still believe there will be a lot of restrictions just like this year. But I doubt there will be too many changes,” Djokovic said.
“My manager, who is in contact with the AusFederation, tells me they are trying to improve the conditions for everyone. Both for those who have been vaccinated and those who have not,” Djokovic added