Opinion – Mathias Alencastro: Djokovic, the anti-vaccine ambassador

Novak Djokovic’s Australian adventure is often treated as a legal imbroglio or, in its romantic version, as a clash of an athlete with somewhat bizarre convictions against a democratic regime radicalized by the pandemic. In reality, the case should be approached as a political manifestation supported by the extreme right and anti-vaccination movements.

Djokovic’s dangerous connections in the Balkans, a region fraught with the separatist agenda of Serb nationalists in Bosnia, are widely known. At the end of 2021, in full political escalation, Djokovic went to fraternize with Milan Jolovic, an ally of the convicted genocider Ratko Mladic, and Milorad Dodik, an important Serbian leader who calls the Srebrenica massacre a “fabricated myth”.

In mid-2020, activist Djokovic insisted on organizing the Adria Tour exhibition tournament during the closing of the ATP’s official circuit. The event, which served as a platform for protests against health restrictions, was at the origin of dozens of contaminations between the public and players.

Last week’s revelations about allegedly poorly filled forms at the border, or public appearances during the period of isolation due to miscommunication, reflect an amateurism that simply doesn’t exist in the world of elite sport.

The greatest tennis player of his generation with over 220 million dollars in prize money, Djokovic is a multinational with an army of publicists and lawyers at its disposal. They all knew that any fraud in the Covid test would be discovered, that deportation was the most likely scenario, and that this episode would have an immeasurable impact on advertising revenue.

But Djokovic didn’t just come to Australia to play tennis, he also went to do politics. He wanted his trial to become a referendum on individual liberties.

The capital Melbourne, where five million residents underwent a total of six lockdowns totaling 262 days between March 2020 and October 2021, was the ideal stage. The government is criticized internally for its botched management of the pandemic. The anti-vaccine movement is particularly active and complex, mixing white nationalists and indigenous peoples traumatized by centuries of colonial medical and legal violence. The controversy surrounding the Serb had the potential to become a major national debate.

Throughout the entire process, Djokovic acted as if he was playing the first set. His father and ideologue elevated him to “new Spartacus” and “leader of the libertarian world”. The Serbian president rose up against a “scandal” after the final decision. The global extreme right, starting with the Bolsonarista, has already expressed its support and admiration.

Djokovic knows he can count on supporters from around the world to challenge health rules at the Indian Wells, Roland-Garros and Wimbledon Opens. His tennis career may be over, but his anti-vaccination ambassador is just beginning.