2022 In Between Grand Slam Thread

With 35% of the ATP Tour unvaccinated as of late October 2021 (plus some on WTA most likely) there was a potential large gap of players that could potentially be absent - obviously he's the highest profile name.

I see that there was some provision for some "mental" aspects in the exemption - that would open things up to a psychiatrist's interpretation with no claim of allergic reaction TUE's required.

But as said for some players it could well be a mental aspect on the vaccine - isn't the mental aspect always talked about lol- where your bread and butter (and chasing history for some) comes down to your mental and physical game in an individual sport it's a different ball-game (literally).

Also as said with Omicron over the last month the impact of fit athletes who are never going to be burdening the health system is for all intensive purposes negligible on broader society as them having a vaccine or not is not increasing Covid spread where Omciron is so transmissible for the vaccinated and unvaccinated alike

completely no guarantee that Djokovic is set to win herein I agree and would be less of an impact than the US Open 2020 if he wasn't there.

Zverev is a completely different player now and seems very confident in himself. He's making noises that it's his time.

Medvedev has beaten Djokovic in a slam final, knows he has the game to beat him and certainly fancies his chances on these courts.

Time is moving on as always for Djokovic.

But going back to the US Open in 2020 tho the final was one of really bad quality for a men's grand slam final and it was a case of who lost less that won in the end between Thiem and Zverev

It's hard to argue that Djokovic wouldn't have breezed that run out.

Even a small child would interpret that that as insinuating that Djokovic paid somebody off.

You seem to work yourself up into a complete frenzy if something goes Djokovic's way. It might be worth looking into breathing exercises or something.

I did address the question about why Djokovic thinks he can't get the vaccine: -

The Australian Open is the first Grand Slam to mandate / demand vaccination as a pre-requisite so THEY HAD TO PUT INTO PLACE AN EXEMPTIONS process - regardless of Djokovic.

On a legal basis, they had to have a process in place - if you could process a rational thought putting Djokovic aside for a moment you might be able to fathom that.

If Djokovic had been run over by a bus last November (don't get too excited by the thought!) they would still have to do that.

Djokovic as others did, used the process. Absolutely no surprise there.

Sure someone could grab Djokovic and jab his arm and he probably would be ok physically but as I said above he believes that he could impact him. He's playing for higher stakes that the biddies on boards, making tennis history here - and he strongly and truly believes that it's not in his interest to be vaccinated. For sure it would mentally affect him as he does actually strongly believe that it's not going to be good for him - maybe some would like that.... the placebo effect is real, so is the reverse psychosomatic effect.

Therefore he used the process.

He's already had Covid also as explained so that's a known to him.

Again, with Omicron ripping across the vaccinated population (including already in Melbourne before Djokovic has gotten near the place) there is actually no societal effect of Djokovic not being vaccinated. Yet the frenzy continues.

He availed of the process that legally had to be there.

Simple as.

That is the situation.

Others used the exact same process.

The rest of the post was in response to "questions that must be answered" !!!

The "red herring" of Omicron rendering vaccine spread containment useless is simply an actual reality check of the real-world environment!

Anyway, certainly adds plenty of spice to the tournament now if Djokovic is not sent home or whatever.

Funny to see the Aussie politicians whiplash reaction to some backlash after Djokovic has simply used their very own two-level (Tennis Australia Medical advisory panel AND Governmental panel) process.

Australia has no shortage of boorish gobshites, at least a fair many of whom will most likely make it into the crowd, quite possibly after consuming a few alcoholic beverages.

lol.

I've already said that I support vaccines many times.

Djokovic was stupid to publicly put out his stance in 2020 about vaccines when asked about it but at least he realised his mistake there and sought to ensure since that the true anti-vax loopers couldn't use him for their nefarious purposes.

He has refused to be drawn on the subject since.

Djokovic used the process that's there in this case.

If you can't understand that such a process was going to exist in the absence of Djokovic then I can't help that.

Couldn't be simpler.

I'm giving my interpretation of Djokovic's thinking - I don't care whether you want to agree with that interpretation or not really.

You have proven more than once that you are likely to fly off the handle and come up with crazy accusations ("bribery" being the latest and greatest!) and seething hatred outbursts when something goes Djokovic's way or he does such and such - it's actually comical to behold!

so bribery is not a crazy accusation ..... right....

and I think that you just proved the point about the flying off the handle yourself in your own response.

I don't have access to Djokovic's medical history or what reasoning he / his team put into the exemptions process - do you?

That is why I can't answer that specific question.

I don't feel "backed into a corner" there in the slightest on that point - that's actually just bizarre projection on your behalf.

But if you read more carefully I did say yesterday that I hazarded a guess that he may have used something to do with the "mental" exclusions that some of the criteria apparently might provide for.

But that's just a guess.

Again I obviously don't know Djokovic's personal medical history!

It's actually quite baffling that you keep pushing that line tbh

As for the other stuff we have been over this before so I don't see the need to address it again - I believe that the standard of tennis on the WTA is on the whole is completely inconsistent and generally shite (and has been the case for a long time) and don't see why exactly it is compensated completely uniquely at the Grand Slams and some other tournaments unlike any other professional sport in the world (men's or women's) where ratings and value to advertisers determine the compensation.