The participation of the world number one tennis player Novak Djokovic at the 2022 Australian Open is currently up in the air, following the announcement of the revocation of his visa by the Australian government.

Djokovic had been granted a medical exemption by two independent Australian medical panels which deemed him qualified for a medical exemption, following an earlier announcement by the Australian government and the tournament organizers that unvaccinated players would not be allowed at the tournament.

The issue of vaccination has become a global problem in recent times as a result of the ravaging coronavirus which has held the world spellbound since late 2019. While medical experts say that the only way to eliminate the virus is the achievement of herd immunity through the vaccination of every human on earth, anti-vaccination advocates disagree and criticized the opinion, using the upsurge in the number of persons who catch and even die of the virus despite being fully vaccinated to buttress their arguments.

They equally believe that it would be impossible to achieve a total vaccination of everyone on earth, as statistics show that countries in the lower income bracket are struggling to acquire vaccines, and where the vaccines are acquired, find it difficult convincing their citizens to take the jab. Anti-vaccination advocates are therefore insisting that vaccination should be optional and not mandatory.

Governments around the world however, are insisting that based on the opinion of immunologists from around the world, vaccination must be made compulsory for all in order to completely wipeout the virus in the nearest future. 

Novak Djokovic supports the position of the anti-vaccination advocates, and has previously stated his aversion to vaccines; this had put him on a collision course with those siding with the immunologists that vaccination must be made compulsory.

This is the background to the current situation where the recent revocation of his visa by the Australian government has brought the government of his native Serbia and that of Australia on a collision course. While the Australian government insists that the same rules on vaccination must be applied to everyone, the Serbian government is accusing its Australian counterpart of a witch-hunt against its most prominent ambassador.

It must be noted that Novak Djokovic is a three time defending champion of the Australian Open, a title he has won nine times overall and has held since 2019. He currently holds 20 grand slam titles, same as his arch-rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, and most people believe that he could go one better than them at this year’s Australian Open.

While the issue of vaccination has become a political subject around the world, some Djokovic supporters are of the view that those criticizing Djokovic over his stance on vaccination are mostly Nadal and Federer supporters who are worried that Djokovic could overtake his rivals and ultimately stake his claim as the GOAT.  

It must be noted that since the advent of the coronavirus, American movie stars and celebrities have found Australia a good hunting ground following the low impact of the virus in that country. Actors like Zac Effron, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, and George Clooney have found Australia as a haven where they could frolic and shoot movies, to the chagrin of citizens who have had to face the strictest of lockdowns and restrictions, leading to about 40,000 Australians abroad being blocked from returning home by the Australian authorities. Other celebrities who have visited Australia in these covid-19 times include Tom Hanks, Natalie Portman, Ed Sheeran, Rita Ora and many others, prompting citizens to accuse the government of only pandering to the rich and famous.

This is the reason why the Djokovic scenario has become so complicated, elections are around the corner, and the Australian government wants to save face against a barrage of criticism from angry citizens. Most Australians believe that the medical exemption granted Djokovic was not merited, but was only issued based on his status as the number one tennis player in the world. Medical analysis however shows that while this may or may not be true, Djokovic has had a history of medical challenges throughout his career which could qualify him for a medical exemption.

Early in his career Djokovic was dubbed a crybaby as a result of his on-court issues which led to many forfeited matches. In 2005, he retired against Guillermo Coria at the French Open; he then took four medical timeouts in a victory against Gael Monfils at the US Open three months later. In 2007 he retired midway through a Wimbledon semi-final against Rafael Nadal, while in 2008 he pulled out of two major matches. At the Australian Open in 2009 he retired in the fourth set while trailing Andy Roddick, and in 2010 allergies and illness forced him to abandon a match against Fillip Krajinovic. In 2011 a shoulder problem forced him to abandon the Cincinnati Masters final against Andy Murray. 

His mid-match retirements at that stage of his career were so frequent that his gamesmanship was brought to question. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal his greatest rivals equally doubted his commitment to the sport, with Federer mockingly claiming that Djokovic’s injuries were a joke. Andy Roddick another rival at the time sneered at Djokovic by listing 16 different ailments to which he was susceptible. 

Between 2011 and 2012 however, Djokovic began to overcome his medical challenges, he met with medical consultants and received advice from them, he is reported to have changed his eating habits, focusing on a vegan diet, and since then, his retirements and medical timeouts have become less frequent. He has since become the most dominant player on the tennis circuit, winning multiple titles in the process. 

It is likely in this writers thinking, that somewhere in those advices he received from his doctors is something that prevents him from taking a vaccine, and was crucial to his receiving a medical exemption from the independent Australian medical panels. However, with the political turn this saga has taken, it is evident that nobody wants to know.

While Nadal and Federer supporters may be excited at the prospect of Djokovic being denied the chance to surpass their idols in the GOAT race, it is important for the Australian authorities to avoid sentiments in their decisions. If the medical exemption granted Djokovic by two independent Australian medical panels was on merit, it would amount to a monumental injustice to deny him the chance to play due to political or sentimental considerations. 

 *NOTE: Djokovic is currently contesting the revocation of his visa at an Australian court.*