Novak Djokovic's Vaccine Stance & Visa Troubles

[Kieran]

I have questions about why he didn’t isolate in serbia and conducted that interview. I have questions about whether he violated anything in spain but these matters have 0 to do with the visa situation

So. he is told by Australian authorities he can enter (state government and tennis australia), he enters and federal government cancels his visa. A court later overturns the visa cancellation showing there are question marks as to how border agents cancelled his visa. So a court of law sided with him. Then, some dude, who has ‘god like’ powers cancels again, citing it’s for greater good. Then, he now faces 3 year ban.

What about you kieran, do you not blame tennis austrlia, state government for being in violation of federal government guidelines? Do you not blame federal government for mishandling the situation given even a court of law thought they did?. Do you think it’s fair for australia to mess so many things up and then only because a judge sided with djokovic, now alex haike’s god like personal powers threaten to ban djokovic for 3 years?

i’m sorry but every single one of you who think these Australia authorities aren’t at fault of creating this and probably more so than djokovic, you are not geniune, it’s very hard not to seen how they have done so many wrongs here. They trick him into coming, then cancel visa, court of law sides with him and then some dude, using personal powers goes against the courts and threatens him for more severe punishment. It’s inexplicable and incomprehensible, shocking. All of you here trying to pin this all on djokovic, it’s just roo disengenous.. it’s because you guys don’t like him and this is amazing to see for you all, ban him from his favourite slam so his hopes at 22 dwindle. It’s really just too obvious given the incredulous incompetence and mess ups from government..

What about when he lied on the visa document - sorry, his agent lied? What about his applying for the medical exemption after the deadline? And applying for a medical exemption with a reason that doesn’t exist?

I definitely agree with you if you that there are mixed signals in Australian side. But I’m big on personal responsibility. He could summon a cluster of lawyers at the snap of his fingers last week, but couldn’t get someone to check out all the potential pitfalls in trying to enter? Nobody to check the federal government rules? Sorry, I don’t excuse him on this. Especially given that he knew he’d face so much scrutiny?

By the way, the court of law thought that there was a technical issue at the border, not that the government had mishandled anything.

I defend wholeheartedly his right to refuse the vaccine, and his view that he didn’t need one for his personal health. Totally defend him on that - but he was trying to enter a country with rules that suggest he must be vaccinated, and so in that case, something had to give…

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

If Djoke is allowed to play while fighting his deportation, does he have to stay at the detention center?

Yes he will be detained till the case is heard on Sunday,hopefully there will be an outcome on Sunday

 

[tented]

Novak Djokovic’s slim Australian Open hopes reliant on last-ditch appeal

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Novak will have a meeting with his lawyers this morning....I hope he seriously weighs up his options with his lawyers and as Judge Kelly told his lawyers last night he 'can leave' meaning noone is keeping him here and he can leave of his own accord.

 

[Moxie]

If Djoke is allowed to play while fighting his deportation, does he have to stay at the detention center?

It wouldn't be much of a detention center if they let him out to play tennis.

 

[Kieran]

Novak will have a meeting with his lawyers this morning....I hope he seriously weighs up his options with his lawyers and as Judge Kelly told his lawyers last night he 'can leave' meaning noone is keeping him here and he can leave of his own accord.

So when he said that, he means they’d waive any potential violations in his application? Including the possible 3 year ban from entering Australia?

 

[MikeOne]

Novak will have a meeting with his lawyers this morning....I hope he seriously weighs up his options with his lawyers and as Judge Kelly told his lawyers last night he 'can leave' meaning noone is keeping him here and he can leave of his own accord.

What’s the upside of leaving and not fight this in court? He should just accept a 3 year ban and defeat when it’s very clear different authorities contributed to this fiasco? No.. he should stay and try to fight this, if anything to shed more light on how badly tennis Australia, state government and even federal government have behaved, he is like a pawn, being used for political gain.

i would stick around, if there is a slim chance he wins, it’s worth it… he has the money

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

So when he said that, he means they’d waive any potential violations in his application? Including the possible 3 year ban from entering Australia?

It could do,I really hope Novak takes this into consideration,if not he could be looking at a 3 year ban.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

What’s the upside of leaving and not fight this in court? He should just accept a 3 year ban and defeat when it’s very clear different authorities contributed to this fiasco? No.. he should stay and try to fight this, if anything to shed more light on how badly tennis Australia, state government and even federal government have behaved, he is like a pawn, being used for political gain.

i would stick around, if there is a slim chance he wins, it’s worth it… he has the money

I am just posting the other options that is all.At the end of the day it is up to Novak to fight the re-cancellation of his visa.

 

[Moxie]

What about when he lied on the visa document - sorry, his agent lied? What about his applying for the medical exemption after the deadline? And applying for a medical exemption with a reason that doesn’t exist?

I definitely agree with you if you that there are mixed signals in Australian side. But I’m big on personal responsibility. He could summon a cluster of lawyers at the snap of his fingers last week, but couldn’t get someone to check out all the potential pitfalls in trying to enter? Nobody to check the federal government rules? Sorry, I don’t excuse him on this. Especially given that he knew he’d face so much scrutiny?

By the way, the court of law thought that there was a technical issue at the border, not that the government had mishandled anything.

I defend wholeheartedly his right to refuse the vaccine, and his view that he didn’t need one for his personal health. Totally defend him on that - but he was trying to enter a country with rules that suggest he must be vaccinated, and so in that case, something had to give…

I agree with this. Particularly all of the bit about personal responsibility. I said way back in this thread that someone on his team should have looked seriously into what his getting into Australia unvaccinated would really mean. (He's a rich guy with a "team," but the bottom line responsibility is his, by extention.) That part is dumb AND sloppy.

@MikeOne also keeps saying Hawke has "god-like" power. No, that power is granted by virtue of the law. That judge didn't say Novak's paperwork was in order, he just said he wasn't given enough time by ABF to straighten it out. Well, then he had another week to submit corrected and explanatory paperwork, and the minister didn't buy it. This is process, not abuse of power.

Basically everyone on this thread has said that the government of Victoria, TA and the federal government have made various and sundry mistakes. There is plenty of fault to go around. But it's Australia that makes the rules here, and ND knew that his chances of playing the AO were tenuous because he chooses not to vaccinate.

 

[Front242]

It amazes me that Novak chose Australia of all places to risk damage to his reputation given it is the site of some of his greatest victories, his most successful slam, and the crowds here seem to enjoy him the most out of all of the slams.

Knowing it's best chance at a slam along with Wimbledon I guess he wanted to play. Fair enough he made some poor decisions back home not isolating and his family made a complete mess of their media dealings as always but the rest of it just shows how mad the world has become. I'll personally see this as the Authoritarian Open from now on which is a shame. The big deal should be made of his bad decisions back home when he supposedly had covid, mixing with loads of people maskless and traveling to Spain and not declaring it (not reading his form and blaming his team on this is so lame) and not the vaccination status which Australia make way too much of a deal about and unscientifically at that. Why ? Because if he genuinely had covid on December 16th then he's not getting it again anytime soon so the "he's a danger to the public" reason they gave is a shameful lie when he's actually safer now than a vaxxed person who has not yet have caught Omicron and may catch it at any stage.

 

[10isfan]

Even vaxxed, don't they require a negative PCR test before you can board the plane?

No

 

[Fiero425]

No

I may never fly again! I was already disgusted B4 this p@ndemic, breathing in recycled air! Now this? I'll just stay home for the rest of my life!

 

[Moxie]

Knowing it's best chance at a slam along with Wimbledon I guess he wanted to play. Fair enough he made some poor decisions back home not isolating and his family made a complete mess of their media dealings as always but the rest of it just shows how mad the world has become. I'll personally see this as the Authoritarian Open from now on which is a shame. The big deal should be made of his bad decisions back home when he supposedly had covid, mixing with loads of people maskless and traveling to Spain and not declaring it (not reading his form and blaming his team on this is so lame) and not the vaccination status which Australia make way too much of a deal about and unscientifically at that. Why ? Because if he genuinely had covid on December 16th then he's not getting it again anytime soon so the "he's a danger to the public" reason they gave is a shameful lie when he's actually safer now than a vaxxed person who has not yet have caught Omicron and may catch it at any stage.

Well, maybe they didn't like his sketchy looking test, either, and don't believe he had that conveniently-timed case of Covid. Maybe we'll find out.

 

[Front242]

What’s the source for the mention that Novak was offered a jab in Australia that would count as a second jab, and so he could stay and play?

I’m not asking this to criticise him in any way, he’s got a right to refuse it and I respect that, but is there any truth to it? And is this kind of offer usually made?

Putin could have sorted him out. Probably gave Medvedev water or saline!

 

[Kieran]

Putin could have sorted him out. Probably gave Medvedev water or saline!

Just that I need to see, a topless Putin on the back of his pet bear Sputnik

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Putin could have sorted him out. Probably gave Medvedev water or saline!

My hubby is still asleep.I will keep this and show him when he wakes up....Pure Gold Front!

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

I don’t understand why some people think what someone does in another country doesn’t reflect as dangerous to others in another country. If I’m watching someone ignore Covid guidelines in their own country, saying they test positive and proceed to attend events maskless, travel well before they should have given they should have been quarantined, and they proceed to falsify that in their visa documents, I don’t think I would be inclined to grant them a visa. If you are that wreckless, why would they want you in their country if you are going to do all those things and lie about it, then why should they trust you will follow guidelines in their country?

 

[Jelenafan]

Take a break for a few months and the tennis world explodes. : )

Roll up Kyrie Irving, mix in Antonio Brown throw in a dollop of Aaron Rodgers and you get this Novak Pile.

Goodness, I've given Novak the benefit of the doubt countless times. However trying to use the "Pick on my nationalism victim" card this time by his entourage/family is just beyond tone deaf.

This all arose precisely because he is NOT a victim, but an entitled 1 percenter Tennis star who thinks the normal rules don't apply to him. It's all about his privilege and special status. That either way how some of his discrepancies on his disclosure for a visa can only be explained by someone deliberately lying or deliberately callously disregarding Covid protocols is clear to everyone, other than the fans/friends so wedged up his ass they can only whine "Victim!"

 

[roberto]

Even as a Novak fan (among other players) it seems clear that he sabotages his lofty goals by his personal behavior---first the US Open when he unintentionally hit a line judge with a ball (but showed a lack of control of his emotions ) and now this debacle. He arguably could have had 22 slams by the end of this AO (not a certainty) vs. remaining tied with his rivals at 20. The most confusing thing to me is what was his AO strategy if he HADN'T gotten a positive covid test in mid-December? That, plus the inaccurate statement on his visa form and having public appearances/interviews after testing positive, show a blatant disregard for others and selfishness. When you are a top tennis player interacting with others on a regular basis, it is not a matter of "personal choice" not to get vaccinated and still expect to play and interact--it's just stubbornness and stupidity.