Australian Open director Craig Tiley urged Wednesday (January 5th) Novak Djokovic to reveal the reason for the “medical exemption” which will allow him to participate in the first Grand Slam of the year, without ever having said if he was. vaccinated or not against Covid-19. “It would certainly be useful if Novak explained the conditions under which he requested and obtained an exemption”, Tiley, also president of the Australian Federation (TA), told reporters.
“I encourage him to talk to the community about this … We have been going through a very difficult time over the past couple of years and I would appreciate some responses to that,” he added. The Australian tennis boss said, however, that the world number one had not received any preferential treatment to obtain this exemption, during a process supervised by the Australian authorities and those of the State of Victoria.
A total of 26 players or members of their staff, out of the 3,000 or so who made the trip to Australia, requested an exemption and only a few of them were satisfied, he said. “Anyone who met the conditions was allowed in. There was no special favor. There was no special treatment given to Novak,” insisted Mr. Tiley.
Already winner of 20 Grand Slams, like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, Serbian Novak Djokovic is aiming for a record 21st title in Melbourne. The Australian Open, which begins on January 17, is his favorite tournament: it is in Melbourne that the Serbian won his first Grand Slam (2008), and no one has won there as much as him (nine victories ).
For months, “Nole” had cast doubt on his participation in the first Grand Slam of the year, due to the obligation for players to be vaccinated against Covid-19 to enter Australia and be able to compete in the tournament. Novak Djokovic has never communicated on his vaccination status, but has already spoken against compulsory vaccination. He finally announced Tuesday that he had obtained a “medical exemption” allowing him to make the trip. The Australian Federation has taken refuge behind medical confidentiality in order not to justify this exemption.
This announcement in particular sparked negative reactions from some players denouncing a double standard, or in certain Australian press headlines, in a country where measures to fight Covid-19 have been particularly strict.