2022 WTA Tour
2022 ATP Tour
Qualies action should begin tomorrow (December 31st) so time to get the thread underway.
Here's to hoping we'll see some great tennis/storylines this year.
Srdjan Djokovic doesn't get PR and is given to hyperbole. I suspect that its squeaky bum time for Novak every time he sees a new statement from his dad.
People from Serbia would be very aware of the difficulty crossing borders and getting visas and have been for many years. Most Irish people have never experienced the pleasure of queuing outside the British embassy on the Merrion Road from 5am for the chance of getting 1 of 20 tickets at 9am that would allow them to return the following morning to requeue and actually submit their visa application.
no they won't because the others may have had different reasons for exemption from vaccination to get into Australia.
now if it comes out that any of them had the same reason as Djokovic then that would be a different story.
Federal Australia don't accept recent Covid-19 infection apparently....
Now of course, it seems like he still would have gotten in if state backed Djokovic's visa when asked to do so by Federal but they didn't. Even though State were part of the two-stage process to give him the event exemption
The tennis player had failed to provide evidence he was double vaccinated, or had a legitimate exemption to that, Mr Morrison said.
He also explained that a recent Covid-19 infection, or one in the past six months, was not a valid reason under federal rules.
Assuming Djokovic's appeal is rejected, which I expect it will, then won't they have to cancel the visas of any other player already in Australia who has availed of the same exemption as him ?
It's being reported in quite a few places that a previous Covid infection (in the last 6 months) is the basis of his exemption. Not confirmed by Djokovic himself yet, nor do we know what level of certification was required by Tennis Australia. But assuming it's bona fide, it does make the pitch-forkers claiming shenanigans look a bit stupid.
His father isn't coming out of this very well
""I have no idea what’s going on, they’re holding my son captive for five hours. This is a fight for the libertarian world, not just a fight for Novak, but a fight for the whole world! If they don’t let him go in half an hour, we will gather on the street, this is a fight for everyone""
Clearly his father hasn't seen what we all have to go through crossing borders in the current climate. His use of the word "captive" looks poor.
Yes Goran Ivanisevic, physios etc were let in
What actually happened was.....
Djokovic lands, strolls up to the passport window with not a care in the world....
Federal Border Force then start questioning him etc
Decide not to accept his reason for exemption for Visa
Then Federal gets onto State and say - "Listen, we've got Djokovic here but don't like the cut of his jib on this reason for getting around the vaccine requirement for the Visa to get into Australia, Will you back him though on the Visa thing seeing as you were involved already in approving him to play in the Australian Open in Victoria"
Victoria state came back "Eh no actually isn't that your job?"
Federal -> "Grand then, we're not going to let him in, Visa Cancelled"
This is confirmed by a Victoria State MP Pulford
The state was the second stage of the panel approval process already on giving him the exemption to play in the event, in the state of Victoria, but "things had changed" by the time they were asked (different people of course but still same level of approval and he would have been in) by Federal Border Force when Djokovic at the airport to give the go-ahead and started playing, "not our job".
Nobody wanted to be seen to approve him at that point, most especially politicians!
So it's a bit murky really....
So his team was let in then ? Interesting. I think it’s fair to say that it was always going to be interesting to see how this would play out but it’s even worse than I expected because overnight our time the Victorian state government and the federal government of Australia went back and forth over who approved the visa and medical exemption and both were blaming each other which is bizarre. It does seem the public opinion has turned completely against him regardless, because there’s a handful of other people who asked for an exemption and got it and have kept the head down and not made a fuss. Maybe if Novak had done that there wouldn’t have been this mess.
Sort of lost in all the chatter is the fact that it wasn't a "visa error" on the part of Djokovic's team as initially reported in the end at all.
The Aussies just decided to cancel his visa once he landed!
Djokovic landed at Melbourne Airport at about 23:30 on Wednesday local time (12:30 GMT). He was promptly assessed and rejected for entry. His visa was cancelled on the spot and he was taken into temporary immigration detention.
The tennis player had failed to provide evidence he was double vaccinated, or had a legitimate exemption to that, Mr Morrison said. He also explained that a recent Covid-19 infection, or one in the past six months, was not a valid reason under federal rules.
Djokovic was taken away by Australian Border Force (ABF) officials to an immigration holding hotel, where he is now awaiting a decision on his fate. The rest of his team was allowed to enter Australia because their vaccination status was approved, Australian media reported.
If he does get in can you imagine what the atmosphere will be like at his matches with the Serbian crowd that are usually there and Aussies who are not usually the most respectful of crowds.
I'd be surprised to see the Australians backing down (as they always keep their hackles up in these sort of situations) or their courts making a judgement in his favour but it would be absolute box office stuff if he made it to the court!
They could sell it pay-per-view 😂
Great match on at the moment between Aliassime and Zverev. 1 set all but Aliassime had his chances in the second set.
If Djokovic manages to stay in Australia and play in the AO can't see him winning it especially with him being holed up in a hotel for the next few days while he awaits his hearing. If he does get in can you imagine what the atmosphere will be like at his matches with the Serbian crowd that are usually there and Aussies who are not usually the most respectful of crowds.
Quite possibly the case. The focus was on the high- level headline of vaccine to get in straight away.
The spotlight and pressure will be on the actual tournaments themselves after this saga though of course also...
I thought England allows in unvaccinated if they quarantine somewhere for 10 days ?
Have seen comment that djokovic (as things currently stand) might have trouble playing ANY of the slams this year
Now that would really put it up to him obviously!
Under current travel rules, people must be fully vaccinated in order to enter the UK. And non-US citizens must also be fully jabbed to get into the States.
And now Macron is talking hardball in France (but apparently there is no border control from Monaco!)
The next federal elections (national Parliament) happening this year in Australia also funnily enough.
Has to be held by 21 May 2022
Ideal time to stoke up some distraction.
Remember the Depp dogs thing with that blustering muppet Barnaby (who then had to resign because he forgot to tell his wife that he got the secretary up the duff!)
It's all politics at this stage, hasn't been about tennis for a while.
There's also more to the politics than just the usual whingy Australians whinging to their politicians about some new thing they've found whingeworthy.
https://firstsportz.com/tennis-novak-djokovic-backs-the-growing-protests-in-serbia-over-the-rio-tinto-mining/
Would be some tournament atmosphere if he eventually got to play with a load of local boors in the crowd channeling their pandemic frustrations at him!
State and federal politicos still pointing the finger at each other out there.
Djokovic in a hotel with refugees apparently.
Novak has really tanked whatever remnants of a good reputation he had left during the pandemic.
I'd be very wary of TA as an unbiased source, as they would desperately want Djokovic to play (stating the bleeding obvious ...)
Also, while other players successfully claimed the same exemption, we don't know if their details were different.
And he wonders why the crowds are never behind him!! Even if he does get to play, you would imagine this would not help his mental attitude - and all self inflicted. I am not a fan of the man, but do admire his tennis!!
Djokovic's legal team have managed to get the can kicked down the road; he's staying in Australia until Monday morning at least where a final decision will be made. You know, I've a feeling this sneaker f*cker will end up playing the Australian Open!
So very unfair
Hahahahahah
If he had kept quiet regarding the "medical exemption" then he would have been fine, but I can understand Joe Bloggs thinking he was bragging thus a government looking for a distraction took advantage. Its a **** show all round where nobody comes out of looking good.
He truly is the greatest returner of all time.
Don't think that this story is finished with yet if possible inconsistencies are proven correct.
Pure debacle.
Oh Novax, you couldn't make this sh*t up really. All of this easily could've been avoided if he'd simply rolled up his sleeve like the hundreds of millions of people around the world have. He's the sole author of his own misfortune, what an absolute f*cking simpleton this man is 😂😂😂
#NovaxDjokovic is trending on twitter 😀
Australians/their politicalians/their government depts are actually managing come across worse than Novak in all of this. That's quite an achievement.
"Hello, Mastercard? Yes, is it too late to get a chargeback on this transaction?"
Will he face a an exclusion period from Australia now?
![Photo of [Deleted User]](https://w7.vanillicon.com/v2/75771797d68b15f0c5c6e631c7bb7ced.svg)
![Photo of [Deleted User]](https://w2.vanillicon.com/v2/24615175400ae675a1f589d8e5bd3285.svg)
