The third Masters event of the year began on Sunday in Monte Carlo and Novak Djokovic has been allowed to play, albeit unvaccinated against COVID-19.
This makes the Serb the only player in the men’s top 100 of the ATP Tour to opt against the vaccine.
Tournaments such as the Australian Open, Indian Wells in California and the Miami Masters, have all barred the Serb from playing, in line with strict Australian and American COVID-19 vaccine requirements for travelling visitors.
Now the Monte Carlo Masters is only the second tournament, after the Dubai Open, to break rank on what is encouraged by the ATP and government figures, as well as the World Health Organisation (WHO), to be the adopted protocol.
This adds fuel to the argument that rich havens such as Monte Carlo and Dubai care more for profits and revenue, than public health.
Of course, Djokovic falls into the category of being a Monte Carlo resident. However, this is not enough to justify allowing athletes to compete at a premier sporting event unvaccinated in a global pandemic.
Considering the sacrifices normal people, the public in virtually all western time zones have had to make, allowing Djokovic to play is a low blow to fans who have lost loved ones or been extremely ill during the two-years in a COVID world.
Not only is the public health message that Monte Carlo is sending out inconsistent with a host of other ATP tournaments and countries, it also has practical issues.
Being unvaccinated, has been shown by various studies (including: Imperial College London) and health data, to make those three times more likely of catching the virus. (Source: Gov.UK)
This means that fans and other athletes around those unvaccinated, such as Djokovic, are at increased risk of Coronavirus being transmitted onto them.
Considering, some fans and players could be high-risk and have underlying health issues, such as diabetes, asthma, immune deficiency or cancer, anything that supresses their overall immunity.
The newest strain of COVID, Omicron, often keeps those that test positive, bed ridden for days with a fatigue, headaches, and muscle aches, in a more virulent version of the flu.
This would suggest that the Monte Carlo Masters have not taken public health warnings or Coronavirus seriously, particularly without having a mandate to be vaccinated to play at the event, and for watching spectators.
Neither would it be right for spectators to have to be vaccinated but not the players, as is the case with the Premier League and English Football League (EFL) in the United Kingdom. (UK)
The world number one is preparing to face Spaniard, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the round of 32, having received a bye from the previous round, along with the other top eight seeds.
Considering past patterns in regards to Djokovic’s behaviour and attitudes towards Coronavirus, the spotlight will be on him this week.
Other premier European tournaments such as the Madrid Masters, Italian Open, French Open and Wimbledon have all spoken previously about the need to be vaccinated.
With current UK and other countries experiencing high rates, this is still expected to be the case.
ATP Tour officials have not come under scrutiny for allowing Djokovic to continue to participate unvaccinated in a global pandemic, but perhaps its high time those questions begin to be asked.
