After last month’s Australian Open debacle, the world number one landed in Dubai this week and returns to the court next week for the first time this season.
But let’s remind ourselves how Novak Djokovic has become the poster boy against COVID-19 vaccination and the consequences this serves.
At the very beginning of the pandemic back in June 2020, Djokovic spoke publicly of being against being vaccinated.
This was before a vaccine had even been developed.
In the same time period, the Serb hosted a tennis tournament, the Adria Tour, in Belgrade and Zadar.
After videos circulated of the 20-time Grand Slam champion clubbing topless in the Croatian city, he and fellow player and friend Viktor Troicki tested positive for COVID-19.
Troicki’s pregnant wife, Aleksandra, also contracted the virus before Djokovic and wife Jelena reported testing positive on the 23rd June.
With an increased risk of losing her baby from the chaos and ill-judged decision making, Djokovic issued a grovelling apology after many within the group contracted COVID.
Fast forward to the autumn of 2021, Djokovic was pressed on whether he would participate at the Australian Open due to the country’s strict vaccination requirements, to which he said ‘we will see.’
Government figures at the time such as Alex Hawke said back in October that Djokovic would not be above the rules.
In December, little was known of Djokovic’s participation or of his off-season activity.
Then in January, a filibuster of shots fired from the Serb’s corner, and the Australian government, and, border control, saw an all-out confrontation as to his right to enter into the country.
Djokovic posted a now infamous image on Instagram, that he would be travelling to Australia after receiving a quote “COVID-19 medical exemption.”
In the post there was no elaboration as to why he received such exemption, and the most important information was left as a mere side note at the end of the post.
This was also the first time that he had publicly admitted to not taking the vaccine, after trying to keep it a mystery.
On the 5th January, he was then intercepted at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport and after eight hours of intense questioning from Australian Border Force, he was then put into quarantine in the Park Hotel, best known for housing refugees.
This led to a legal challenge from the Serb that he duly won in court and was then able to train at Rod Laver Arena.
With the eyes of the world, and condemnation on both sides of his refusal to take the vaccine, and potentially putting others at risk of catching COVID due to his unvaccinated status, the crisis continued to boil over.
Djokovic’s parents also attacked the Australian government with public outbursts that did not help the process.
Media organisations then uncovered that Djokovic had been present at charity events on the 17th and 18th December, the day after receiving a positive COVID test, thus putting children and others at risk.
He was also maskless shaking hands. All of this indicated that the Serb was not only against vaccination, but did not take the pandemic seriously.
In an embarrassing climbdown, he admitted on social media to being present at these events, whilst testing positive. In conjunction to agreeing to meet a L’Equipe journalist, whilst he should have been self-isolating.
84% of the Australian public in a poll were dead against Djokovic participating at the Australian Open. It was therefore no surprise that Minister Hawke exercised his powers to revoke the Serb’s visa for a second time. This time the Serb lost in court and was soon on a plane back to Serbia.
Ironically, it was his rival Rafa Nadal who would win the much coveted 21st Grand Slam, a possible lesson of karma, for what might have been had Djokovic decided to take the vaccine.
This week an interview with the BBC was released but Djokovic did not seem sorry for the events that occurred in Australia.
It has since been reported in mainstream media from Sky News Australia, the BBC, and others that the PCR test was faked that Djokovic used to get into the country, almost as if there was a conspiracy afoot. Something Djokovic denies.
But after all of this, the Dubai Duty Free Championships are the first tournament to welcome Djokovic with open arms and provide him with safe refuge.
Tournament director Salah Tahlak had this to say on the matter. “I think we always have to be positive. Dubai is a positive city.
“His Highness Sheikh Mohammed is always positive. He says whatever happens in the history, leave it behind you and let’s go forward because if you’re standing still that’s not going to help you,” he said.
“It’s better to think of the future and be positive. I think it’s great to have him [Djokovic] back.
“I know the whole world has been against him but at the end of the day he’s number one in the world and he’s a former champion in Dubai.”
Is this a case of a PR strategy to increase revenue and profits from TV rights and international media attention with the world number one’s participation?
Or are they simply not taking COVID-19 seriously enough themselves to insist on a vaccine mandate?
Perhaps they have been too forgiving of Djokovic’s past misdemeanours and turned a blind eye to mistakes the 34-year-old should not be making, and showing little remorse for his actions.
If Djokovic wins another Dubai title, then all of the questions around why he will not take the vaccine and protect the lives of others, will all just be washed away and forgotten about.
The US government like Australia have maintained that incoming arrivals into the country must be double vaccinated.
Next month’s double header of Indian Wells in California and the Miami Masters 1000 have therefore banished Djokovic from playing due to his unvaccinated status.
The US Open is likely to maintain this stance. The French Open looks likely to follow suit, from what the French Sports Minister has said on the issue.
The only question now is will Wimbledon copy the other three Grand Slams and maintain a vaccination entry only stance.
Tim Henman recently said that the All-England Club would follow government guidelines, but we all know the government is not always correct, and has been going against scientists that have warned against premature lifting of the restrictions.
If Wimbledon breaks rank, like the Dubai Open have done, it could create a dangerous precedent in justifying Djokovic’s stubbornness to remain unvaccinated and give anti-vaxxers a big victory that they can do as they please in the face of a public health crisis.
The Serb might be back in town in Dubai, but the Djokovic drama rumbles on.
