Tennis Thread

[Goldstar88]

Novak Djokovic has been denied entry into Australia after initially being granted a medical exemption for the country's COVID-19 vaccination requirements so that the world's No. 1-ranked tennis player could play in the Australian Open.

Djokovic, left stranded at Melbourne's Tullamanrien airport overnight, was issued a letter by the Australian government saying his visa had been denied and he would be deported.

The Australian Border Force, in a statement issued Thursday, said it "will continue to ensure that those who arrive at our border comply with our laws and entry requirements," and also noted that Djokovic "had access to his phone."


https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/33001055/novak-djokovic-denied-entry-australia-initial-covid-19-medical-exemption

[ozgod]

That's kind of hilarious how it ended up like this: Novax hems and haws about his vaccination status, yet he gets a visa anyway, then Tennis Australia grants him an exemption to play, so he takes the long flight Down Under, then they stop him at the border and cancel his visa because he's not vaccinated and then ship him off to a quarantine hotel where he's now stuck 

I definitely support Australia's right to decide what the vaccination status of foreign nationals entering their country should be, and I can understand the outrage with him getting an exemption when thousands of Aussie citizens have been stuck outside their country for 2 years unable to return because of Covid but they shouldn't have given him a visa in the first place. If I get a visa to somewhere and am allowed on the plane to go there, I'd be pretty upset to get there after 24 hours flying to find out it was cancelled. I'm guessing the visa was given in error and then the public outcry from Aussies who have made huge sacrifices undergoing 200 day lockdowns seeing a tennis player get given an exemption forced the politicians to push to have the visa cancelled.

[Goldstar88]

The saga continues. Unreal.

Novak Djokovic spent a day confined in an immigration detention hotel waiting for a court ruling and dealing with the prospect of deportation from Australia because of an issue with his visa application relating to COVID-19 vaccination regulations.

The 20-time major champion from Serbia will spend at least another night in immigration detention, probably even the weekend, with his chances of playing in this month's Australian Open in limbo.

With his visa canceled by Australian Border Force officials who rejected his evidence to support a medical exemption from the country's strict COVID-19 vaccination rules, Djokovic had to trade the practice courts for the law courts on Thursday.

Djokovic has not disclosed whether he is vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said the visa cancellation followed a review of Djokovic's medical exemption by border officials who looked "at the integrity and the evidence behind it."

Djokovic was transferred Thursday morning to a secure hotel controlled by immigration officials that also houses asylum seekers and refugees.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he had spoken to Djokovic and that his government is asking that, before Monday, the 20-time major champion be allowed to move to a house he has rented and "not to be in that infamous hotel."




https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/33005069/novak-djokovic-remain-visa-limbo-monday-fights-deportation-australia

[Kiorrik]

The saga continues. Unreal.

Novak Djokovic spent a day confined in an immigration detention hotel waiting for a court ruling and dealing with the prospect of deportation from Australia because of an issue with his visa application relating to COVID-19 vaccination regulations.

The 20-time major champion from Serbia will spend at least another night in immigration detention, probably even the weekend, with his chances of playing in this month's Australian Open in limbo.

With his visa canceled by Australian Border Force officials who rejected his evidence to support a medical exemption from the country's strict COVID-19 vaccination rules, Djokovic had to trade the practice courts for the law courts on Thursday.

Djokovic has not disclosed whether he is vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said the visa cancellation followed a review of Djokovic's medical exemption by border officials who looked "at the integrity and the evidence behind it."

Djokovic was transferred Thursday morning to a secure hotel controlled by immigration officials that also houses asylum seekers and refugees.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he had spoken to Djokovic and that his government is asking that, before Monday, the 20-time major champion be allowed to move to a house he has rented and "not to be in that infamous hotel."




https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/33005069/novak-djokovic-remain-visa-limbo-monday-fights-deportation-australia

Unreal indeed.

Just get the jab and get on with it.

Idiot.

Seriously. How does he, as a professional tennis player, literally top of the world, NOT have his vax paperwork sorted out?

That's on him, and his management. Not on ANYONE else.

You had ONE job.

[Goldstar88]

The saga continues. Unreal.

Novak Djokovic spent a day confined in an immigration detention hotel waiting for a court ruling and dealing with the prospect of deportation from Australia because of an issue with his visa application relating to COVID-19 vaccination regulations.

The 20-time major champion from Serbia will spend at least another night in immigration detention, probably even the weekend, with his chances of playing in this month's Australian Open in limbo.

With his visa canceled by Australian Border Force officials who rejected his evidence to support a medical exemption from the country's strict COVID-19 vaccination rules, Djokovic had to trade the practice courts for the law courts on Thursday.

Djokovic has not disclosed whether he is vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said the visa cancellation followed a review of Djokovic's medical exemption by border officials who looked "at the integrity and the evidence behind it."

Djokovic was transferred Thursday morning to a secure hotel controlled by immigration officials that also houses asylum seekers and refugees.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he had spoken to Djokovic and that his government is asking that, before Monday, the 20-time major champion be allowed to move to a house he has rented and "not to be in that infamous hotel."




https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/33005069/novak-djokovic-remain-visa-limbo-monday-fights-deportation-australia

Unreal indeed.

Just get the jab and get on with it.

Idiot.

Seriously. How does he, as a professional tennis player, literally top of the world, NOT have his vax paperwork sorted out?

That's on him, and his management. Not on ANYONE else.

You had ONE job.

He’s against Vaccines and already had Covid back in 2020, so I’m sure he’s like many others that think they have sufficient antibodies to protect them.

How are people in Australia reacting to this story? I watch the AO every year on TV and there are some passionate tennis fans down under for sure. Matches get rowdy and loud, it’s a lot of fun. If they do let Novak compete, the fans are going to be brutal.

[Kiorrik]

The saga continues. Unreal.

Novak Djokovic spent a day confined in an immigration detention hotel waiting for a court ruling and dealing with the prospect of deportation from Australia because of an issue with his visa application relating to COVID-19 vaccination regulations.

The 20-time major champion from Serbia will spend at least another night in immigration detention, probably even the weekend, with his chances of playing in this month's Australian Open in limbo.

With his visa canceled by Australian Border Force officials who rejected his evidence to support a medical exemption from the country's strict COVID-19 vaccination rules, Djokovic had to trade the practice courts for the law courts on Thursday.

Djokovic has not disclosed whether he is vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said the visa cancellation followed a review of Djokovic's medical exemption by border officials who looked "at the integrity and the evidence behind it."

Djokovic was transferred Thursday morning to a secure hotel controlled by immigration officials that also houses asylum seekers and refugees.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he had spoken to Djokovic and that his government is asking that, before Monday, the 20-time major champion be allowed to move to a house he has rented and "not to be in that infamous hotel."




https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/33005069/novak-djokovic-remain-visa-limbo-monday-fights-deportation-australia

Unreal indeed.

Just get the jab and get on with it.

Idiot.

Seriously. How does he, as a professional tennis player, literally top of the world, NOT have his vax paperwork sorted out?

That's on him, and his management. Not on ANYONE else.

You had ONE job.

He’s against Vaccines and already had Covid back in 2020, so I’m sure he’s like many others that think they have sufficient antibodies to protect them.

How are people in Australia reacting to this story? I watch the AO every year on TV and there are some passionate tennis fans down under for sure. Matches get rowdy and loud, it’s a lot of fun.

Jeebus H. Having had Covid doesn't prevent you from getting it again. It's been 2 years man, come on, this is public knowledge. And vaccines and boosters help you against getting it again. And once more; it's been 2 years. This is public knowledge. Come, on.

As for people in Australia and how they're responding ... they're responding by saying things like;

Unreal indeed.

Just get the jab and get on with it.

Idiot.

Seriously. How does he, as a professional tennis player, literally top of the world, NOT have his vax paperwork sorted out?

That's on him, and his management. Not on ANYONE else.

You had ONE job.

[MarcusSmartFanClub]

Embarrassing for Novak. Incredible tennis player, but he appears to be a narcissist. I don't think it is shocking for a singularly focused driven athlete to not care about others.

[Kiorrik]

Embarrassing for Novak. Incredible tennis player, but he appears to be a narcissist. I don't think it is shocking for a singularly focused driven athlete to not care about others.

I think part of the problem is examples set by others.

We're herd animals.

If the leaders don't set a simple straight-foward example, followers will be confused and second-guess.

That's what's happening.

People are unsure because they get mixed signals.

And that's where we are right now.

In a weird impasse.

[Goldstar88]

I sort of hope they let him compete. The crowd would eat Djokovic alive. It’s a lose/lose situation for him at this point, which is what he deserves. Novak was pretty unlikable to begin with, but good luck trying to play in NY and Aus for the rest of your career after all of this.

[Goldstar88]

All you can do is laugh... 


federal Circuit Court Judge Anthony Kelly adjourned Djokovic's case until Monday because of a delay in receiving the application for a review of the visa decisions and the temporary ban on his deportation. A lawyer for the government agreed that Djokovic should not be deported before the next hearing.

Djokovic's family said he was the victim of a "political agenda."

"They're keeping him in captivity. They're stomping all over Novak to stomp all over Serbia and Serbian people," Djokovic's father Srdjan told reporters in Belgrade on Thursday.

"I feel terrible since yesterday that they are keeping him as a prisoner. It's not fair. It's not human. I hope that he will win," Djokovic's mother, Dijana, said after speaking with him briefly by telephone from Belgrade. She added: "Terrible, terrible accommodation. It's just some small immigration hotel, if it's hotel at all." It's so dirty and the food is so terrible," she added. "[The authorities] don't want to give him any chance to move on to some better hotel or house that he already rented."

[MarcusSmartFanClub]

All you can do is laugh... 


federal Circuit Court Judge Anthony Kelly adjourned Djokovic's case until Monday because of a delay in receiving the application for a review of the visa decisions and the temporary ban on his deportation. A lawyer for the government agreed that Djokovic should not be deported before the next hearing.

Djokovic's family said he was the victim of a "political agenda."

"They're keeping him in captivity. They're stomping all over Novak to stomp all over Serbia and Serbian people," Djokovic's father Srdjan told reporters in Belgrade on Thursday.

"I feel terrible since yesterday that they are keeping him as a prisoner. It's not fair. It's not human. I hope that he will win," Djokovic's mother, Dijana, said after speaking with him briefly by telephone from Belgrade. She added: "Terrible, terrible accommodation. It's just some small immigration hotel, if it's hotel at all." It's so dirty and the food is so terrible," she added. "[The authorities] don't want to give him any chance to move on to some better hotel or house that he already rented."

A little tone deaf. We have a family member on a ventilator right now. Yet, we should be concerned about Novak's accommodations, given that he refuses to vaccinate (and thus help his society)?

[Goldstar88]

All you can do is laugh... 


federal Circuit Court Judge Anthony Kelly adjourned Djokovic's case until Monday because of a delay in receiving the application for a review of the visa decisions and the temporary ban on his deportation. A lawyer for the government agreed that Djokovic should not be deported before the next hearing.

Djokovic's family said he was the victim of a "political agenda."

"They're keeping him in captivity. They're stomping all over Novak to stomp all over Serbia and Serbian people," Djokovic's father Srdjan told reporters in Belgrade on Thursday.

"I feel terrible since yesterday that they are keeping him as a prisoner. It's not fair. It's not human. I hope that he will win," Djokovic's mother, Dijana, said after speaking with him briefly by telephone from Belgrade. She added: "Terrible, terrible accommodation. It's just some small immigration hotel, if it's hotel at all." It's so dirty and the food is so terrible," she added. "[The authorities] don't want to give him any chance to move on to some better hotel or house that he already rented."

A little tone deaf. We have a family member on a ventilator right now. Yet, we should be concerned about Novak's accommodations, given that he refuses to vaccinate (and thus help his society)?

Sorry to hear that. I completely agree.

[Moranis]

Obviously Novak is a narcissist and may very well be an a___hole, but Australian officials have also clearly mismanaged this, singled him out, and have made an example of him for political gains.

I mean he received a valid medical exemption from Australian officials.  He wouldn't have gotten on the plane and flown there without that.  Then you have the health minister or whatever basically acknowledging that because Novak was high profile that they focused more on him (so treating him differently because of who he is).  Then they detain him under armed guard in a tiny room.  Then they send him to one of the most controversial "hotels" on the planet (when they could have sent him to a private house that he paid for away from anyone else). 

Here is an article that sort of summarizes how I feel.  https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/06/opinions/novak-djokovic-australia-covid-vaccine-requirements-myles/index.html

[Goldstar88]

Obviously Novak is a narcissist and may very well be an a___hole, but Australian officials have also clearly mismanaged this, singled him out, and have made an example of him for political gains.

I mean he received a valid medical exemption from Australian officials.  He wouldn't have gotten on the plane and flown there without that.  Then you have the health minister or whatever basically acknowledging that because Novak was high profile that they focused more on him (so treating him differently because of who he is).  Then they detain him under armed guard in a tiny room.  Then they send him to one of the most controversial "hotels" on the planet (when they could have sent him to a private house that he paid for away from anyone else). 

Here is an article that sort of summarizes how I feel.  https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/06/opinions/novak-djokovic-australia-covid-vaccine-requirements-myles/index.html

He brought the attention to himself by flaunting through social media the fact that he was able to get the medical exception and compete despite not being vaccinated and apparently he did not receive the exemption/approval from the right officials. They aren’t giving him special treatment and I don’t think they should be. He did this to himself, as usual.

[RodyTur10]

I sort of hope they let him compete. The crowd would eat Djokovic alive. It’s a lose/lose situation for him at this point, which is what he deserves. Novak was pretty unlikable to begin with, but good luck trying to play in NY and Aus for the rest of your career after all of this.

I very much doubt it. Djokovic is immensely popular in Australia.
Great tennis player and a great person as well.
No idea where this comes from that Novak is deemed unlikeable.
Hopefully he will be able to play.
As usual, Australian government making a fool of themselves.