Djokovic is likely to miss out on his title defence in the Australian open due to COVID 19 vaccination.
Novak Djokovic will risk the bid to open his title defence in the Australian open after a government official said unvaccinated players are unlikely to get visas to enter the country.
World No 1 Tennis player Djokovic was reluctant to reveal his vaccination status this week as he stated he was unsure if he would defend his Australian Open title as authorities work out COVID-19 restrictions for the tournament.
Victoria, the stated where the Grand Slam event takes place in Melbourne introduced a vaccine mandate for professional athletes, although authorities have not yet clarified what the requirement will be for those coming from abroad.
What Djokovic said.
“Things beings as they are, I still don’t know if I will go to Melbourne, Djokovic told the online edition of Serbian daily Blic.
“I will not reveal my status whether I have been vaccinated or not, it is a private matter and an inappropriate inquiry.
“People go too far these days in taking the liberty to ask questions and judge a person. Whatever you say ‘Yes, no, maybe, I am thinking about it’, they will take advantage.”
Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews stated that he doubt if any unvaccinated athletes would get a visa to the country.
“I don’t think an unvaccinated tennis player is going to get a visa to come into this country and if they did get a visa they’d probably have to quarantine for a couple of weeks,” Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews told a media briefing.
“I don’t think that the person you indicated (Djokovic) or any other tennis player, let’s not personalise it, or golfer or Formula One driver will even get a visa to get here.
“If I’m wrong I’m sure the federal government will let you know.
“(The virus) doesn’t care what your tennis ranking is, or how many Grand Slams you’ve won. It’s completely irrelevant. You need to be vaccinated to keep yourself safe and to keep others safe.”
