Australian Prime Minister says Djokovic could be barred in the country

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday that Novak Djokovic could be barred in the country if he cannot prove the reasons why he received a medical exemption to play the Australian Open without being vaccinated against Covid-19 .

The Serbian tennis player, who has won nine Melbourne titles, including the last three, confirmed on Tuesday that he will seek his 21st Grand Slam trophy in the tournament starting on Jan. 17. He will arrive in the country this Wednesday night, at local time.

His announcement that he had received a medical waiver sparked outrage in Melbourne, which has suffered a lengthy lockdown in recent years and where recently an outbreak of the Ômicron variant has driven caseloads to record highs.

Permission was granted to Djokovic by the state government of Victoria, where Melbourne is located, after approval by two independent medical panels. Still, it received harsh criticism from much of the local press.

Morrison suggested that Djokovic’s participation is not yet closed and that he will have to satisfy the federal government, which is responsible for international borders and visas and was not part of the process of granting the exemption, the responsibility of the state governments.

“If this evidence is insufficient, he will not be treated any differently than anyone else and will be on the next plane home. There should be no special rules for Novak Djokovic. Absolutely none,” Morrison told a news conference.

The organizers of Tennis Australia (the country’s sports authority) have stipulated that everyone in the Melbourne Park complex must be vaccinated or exempted. With it, Djokovic will not be forced into quarantine and will have the same freedoms in Melbourne as someone who has been vaccinated.

“Novak will not play the Australian Open [com isenção] because he’s the biggest star,” said Victoria government minister Jaala Pulford. .”

Tennis Australia Chief Executive and Tournament Director Craig Tiley said the independent panel consists of physicians from the fields of immunology, infectious diseases and general practice. According to him, all exemptions met the conditions established by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization.

“We completely understand and empathize with people who are upset that Novak has come because of his statements over the past two years about the vaccination,” he told reporters.

Tiley acknowledged that questions will be asked about the exemption and the only person who can answer them is Djokovic. “It would certainly be helpful if Novak explained the conditions under which he sought an exemption, but ultimately it’s up to him.”

According to the organizers, the tournament received 26 requests for exemptions among about 3,000 participants and some were approved, but the exact number has not been revealed. Most would have been obtained due to coronavirus contamination in the last six months.

The Australian tennis legend that gives Melbourne Park’s main arena its name, Rod Laver also criticized the lack of transparency in obtaining the exemption.

“I think it can get ugly. I think Victorian people might be thinking, ‘Yes, I’d love to see him play and compete, but at the same time, there’s a right way and a wrong way.’ [para a isenção], so we should know this. You’re a great player and you’ve won so many tournaments, so it can’t be physical. So what’s the problem?” he asked.

Djokovic has repeatedly refused to disclose his vaccination status and has previously said he was unsure whether he would compete in Melbourne.

Playing the tournament will give you the chance to get ahead of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer for the first time, who also hold 20 Grand Slam titles on the men’s list of biggest winners.