Novak Djokovic's Vaccine Stance & Visa Troubles

[Jelenafan]

Welcome back, Don Fabio!

The biggest thing that Djokovic will miss about Vajda is probably the calmness or peace of mind he instilled to Djokovic. Djokovic is still a great player and a smart tennis player, so from a technical standpoint, he will still do well even at age 35. However, I am curious to see on how Djokovic will handle the mental pressure not just the vaccination status/pandemic, but also the wanting the most GS titles, playing at a high level and winning titles.

With Vajda being out, does Goran have the ability to give calmness to Djokovic especially at this stage of Djokovic's career?....

Goran, Our Goran??

 

[rafanoy1992]

Goran, Our Goran??

Either him or Boris Becker

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Goran will probably not be able to give him calmness and piece of mind as Vajda. Goran himself is crazy in his own way

How will Novak handle mental pressure in his last phase of the career, let's say next 5 years? It has to become worse at some point. He raised bar extremely high and with age he will have more moments when he crumbles under pressure and will have to accept more losses than what he is currently used to. It will be interesting to see, once he starts losing more of the semis and finals of the slams, how will that affect him.

I believe I mentioned last year that repeating 3 slams sweep in a calendar year is not going to happen and that I will personally be happy if he wins 1 slam this year and anything else would be a huge bonus. He needs to stay on top of his game this year somehow knowing that he will lose tremendous amount of points and being able to play effectively just for a couple of months. It is a tough task, he could drop in rankings significantly, somewhere in top 20 range I would guess. Then 2023 season comes and I don't even know if he will be allowed to play AO. He needs a fresh start next year with Covid-19 measures finished, but no one can tell if that is going to be the case.

Regarding Novak being allowed to play the AO in 2023,from what I heard from our Immigration Minister, he can reapply for a visa back into Australia.I know at present unvaccinated people have to go into isolation for 7 days on arrival and take a test negative for COVID on arrival,though it does vary from state to state.Things will change I would imagine in 2023.

 

[Moxie]

Goran will probably not be able to give him calmness and piece of mind as Vajda. Goran himself is crazy in his own way

How will Novak handle mental pressure in his last phase of the career, let's say next 5 years? It has to become worse at some point. He raised bar extremely high and with age he will have more moments when he crumbles under pressure and will have to accept more losses than what he is currently used to. It will be interesting to see, once he starts losing more of the semis and finals of the slams, how will that affect him.

Even given Novak's fitness, 5 years is optimistic. As you rightly say, it's the pressure that seems to get them. Knowing that the window is closing. Just look to Roger, two points away at Wimbledon, and on his serve. I would say all that happened to Novak at the OG and USO was the pressure of the "one time only" or "one last time" opportunity. It's not just fitness, but the weight of history that starts to get them.

 

[Kieran]

Even given Novak's fitness, 5 years is optimistic. As you rightly say, it's the pressure that seems to get them. Knowing that the window is closing. Just look to Roger, two points away at Wimbledon, and on his serve. I would say all that happened to Novak at the OG and USO was the pressure of the "one time only" or "one last time" opportunity. It's not just fitness, but the weight of history that starts to get them.

That’s right. Players traditionally can go downhill fast after 30. The Big 3 and others of this era have been exceptions to this, and I don’t know why. But with Rafa resurgent I think he has to try make the most of this season. Novak is affected by his own foolish manoeuvre in Australia, and he might take a while to get his mental equilibrium back. I mean, now the ship’s being steered by Goran, who knows what’ll happen. Goran always struck me as being to Novak what Becker was - not a head coach, but a talismanic figure, someone who “understands” the battle, through experience. I don’t imagine Goran getting down into the weeds with regards to technique. And his inspirational motivation blurb might consist solely of loudly screamed F-words and nationalistic slurry…

 

[Kieran]

What reason would he have he couldn't do it? At 35 he was still the toughest out, even on the clay of Roland Garros! I had no doubt he'd come back in his match against Stefanos, but it was almost predictable he wasn't up to the challenge of beating Daniil in New York! He was the only one I worried about and hoped someone would upset him before the final! I know players limitations even if a fanatic! I was one who thought he should skip Olympics, but he thought he could get thru it unscathed! He was wrong! It almost ruined his entire 2nd half of the season close to losing out on the YE #1!

In fairness, he came to within one match of getting it. He’d a funny habit in New York of dropping the first set in matches, and emotionally he had to be feeling it as he got closer to the final. All that BS about the wolf hunting in the supermarket or whatever shite he was saying didn’t help. He should have gone low key, but he tried to swagger through. It wouldn’t have been a shock if he’d beaten Daniil.

And of course, now Rafa has shown how you fight back from two sets down to Daniil. Unfortunately for Novak, he was in tears at that stage, because his inner Sally Field was triggered by the crowd…

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Don Fabio,

If you are around more insights from Marian Vajda regarding the split between himself and Novak, ( from Jose Morgado)

Vajda said they did split after the ATP Finals but didn't feel right to talk about during the those crazy weeks Djokovic had in Melbourne.

 

[Andy22]

I hope Djokovic plays more tennis this season, RG Rematch needs to happen.

 

[Moxie]

I'm posting this here to stop polluting the IW thread with it, as I don't think Djokovic will get into the US. A-P is right...Novad is being a drama queen - again. When he said a few weeks back that he would have to skip IW and Miami, because he wouldn't be allowed in the US, I thought that, sensibly, his lawyers had looked into/applied for a visa to the US, and realized he wouldn't be let in, and that was the end of it. And yet...now here we are within a day of the tournament beginning, and we're back to the "will he/won't he" question. SMH.

I read the list of exemptions from Covid Vaccination for entry into the US, and recent positive is not one of them. As in Australia.

 

[Kieran]

I'm posting this here to stop polluting the IW thread with it, as I don't think Djokovic will get into the US. A-P is right...Novad is being a drama queen - again. When he said a few weeks back that he would have to skip IW and Miami, because he wouldn't be allowed in the US, I thought that, sensibly, his lawyers had looked into/applied for a visa to the US, and realized he wouldn't be let in, and that was the end of it. And yet...now here we are within a day of the tournament beginning, and we're back to the "will he/won't he" question. SMH.

I read the list of exemptions from Covid Vaccination for entry into the US, and recent positive is not one of them. As in Australia.

It's hardly recent anymore, if it ever happened at all. I don't get this bloke. He's trolling now. I thought he'd made a (gammy and deceitful) attempt to redeem himself with the BBC interview, but now he's back to this again? What's he gonna do? Is he gonna blow up on the shores of old USA with a fistful of lawyers and another bunch of crazy fables? Is he nuts? I can't imagine the reception he'll receive if he gets a drunk judge who lets him slip the net.

And if he isn't even going to try, doesn't he owe it to the tournament - and tennis - to withdraw his name already, from the entry list? Like, last month?

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

It's hardly recent anymore, if it ever happened at all. I don't get this bloke. He's trolling now. I thought he'd made a (gammy and deceitful) attempt to redeem himself with the BBC interview, but now he's back to this again? What's he gonna do? Is he gonna blow up on the shores of old USA with a fistful of lawyers and another bunch of crazy fables? Is he nuts? I can't imagine the reception he'll receive if he gets a drunk judge who lets him slip the net.

And if he isn't even going to try, doesn't he owe it to the tournament - and tennis - to withdraw his name already, from the entry list? Like, last month?

I also took his word when he said he accepted that some tournaments he would not be able to enter because of their vaccination status.....now this again? ...quite frankly I am over him.I respected his views on not being vaccinated.In turn he should also accept and respect countries that have their own vaccination status.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Just an update from Tommy Haas tournament director,

Still waiting to see if Novak Djokoivc gets his CDC pass.....no mentioned of vaccination.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

From Jon Wertheim thoughts on Novak Djokovic,

" I am dumbfounded he would risk another humiliation/round of condemnation.I'm disappointed by the inconsistent stances.I am impressed that he wants to compete so badly.I am thinking Marian Vajda is enjoying a leisurely drink this evening".

 

[Kieran]

From Jon Wertheim thoughts on Novak Djokovic,

" I am dumbfounded he would risk another humiliation/round of condemnation.I'm disappointed by the inconsistent stances.I am impressed that he wants to compete so badly.I am thinking Marian Vajda is enjoying a leisurely drink this evening".

I’d say Marian is feeling relieved that he isn’t getting drawn into this ghoul show. I’m convinced he left the team because he felt humiliated by the Australian heist gone wrong…

 

[tented]

I’d say Marian is feeling relieved that he isn’t getting drawn into this ghoul show. I’m convinced he left the team because he felt humiliated by the Australian heist gone wrong…

Or, he doesn’t believe in things such as holding bread is the way to detect gluten sensitivity.

 

[Moxie]

It's hardly recent anymore, if it ever happened at all. I don't get this bloke. He's trolling now. I thought he'd made a (gammy and deceitful) attempt to redeem himself with the BBC interview, but now he's back to this again? What's he gonna do? Is he gonna blow up on the shores of old USA with a fistful of lawyers and another bunch of crazy fables? Is he nuts? I can't imagine the reception he'll receive if he gets a drunk judge who lets him slip the net.

And if he isn't even going to try, doesn't he owe it to the tournament - and tennis - to withdraw his name already, from the entry list? Like, last month?

I agree with all of this, and especially your astonishment at what he's angling for. It does seem nuts.

Personally, I have grave doubts about that positive covid test, conveniently located as it was, how he behaved after (supposedly) testing positive, and then, of course, the very dodgy paperwork as outlined by the BBC. I'd be really surprised if people in US immigration (and other immigration services around the world) weren't looking at the Djokovic case, if only out of professional interest, esp. knowing that he was heading here soon.

The CDC website and State Dept. both state that Non-citizens/non-residents entering the US must be vaccinated, with few exemptions, per below:

Categories of noncitizen nonimmigrants that meet the criteria for an exception under the Proclamation and CDC’s Order include:

• Persons on diplomatic or official foreign government travel
• Children under 18 years of age
• Persons with documented medical contraindications to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine
• Participants in certain COVID-19 vaccine trials
• Persons issued a humanitarian or emergency exception
• Persons with valid visas [excluding B-1 (business) or B-2 (tourism) visas] who are citizens of a foreign country with limited COVID-19 vaccine availability (See list for updates that will be effective on April 14, 2022 at 12:01am EDT (4:01am UTC))
• Members of the U.S. Armed Forces or their spouses or children (under 18 years of age)
• Sea crew members traveling with to a C-1 and D nonimmigrant visa
• Persons whose entry would be in the national interest, as determined by the Secretary of State, Secretary of Transportation, or Secretary of Homeland Security (or their designees)

If you travel by air to the United States under one of these exceptions, you will be required to attest that you are excepted from the requirement to present Proof of Being Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19 based on one of the exceptions listed above. Based on the category of the exception, you may further be required to attest that:

1. You will be tested with a COVID-19 viral test 3–5 days after arrival in the United States, unless you have documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 in the past 90 days;
2. You will self-quarantine for a full 7 days, even if the test result to the post-arrival viral test is negative, unless you have documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 in the past 90 days; and
3. You will self-isolate if the result of the post-arrival test is positive or if you develop COVID-19 symptoms.

__________________

When you look at the above, the first category (exemptions,) Novak doesn't qualify. The only place where the "recent" (within 90 days, and he just slips under that) covid positive kicks in is whether or not he'd have to quarantine for 7 days after arriving in the US.

I don't see how he's getting in.

 

[Moxie]

Or, he doesn’t believe in things such as holding bread is the way to detect gluten sensitivity.

That, and Novak's belief that positive thinking can change polluted water to healthy water. He may have been finally sick of being associated with all of that nonsense, or pretending that he believed it. It is a commonplace in tennis for the coach to let the player to pretend it was the player's idea to part ways, but I'm not convinced. But even if it was Novak's idea, it seems foolish.

 

[Nadalfan2013]

What's most likely happening is that Djokovic's lawyers are promising him that there's a chance to enter and play (just like they promised him in Australia with the whole lawsuit) but at the end of the day the lawyers are laughing at him and using him because they know that it won't be possible and their only goal is to get paid some good money for their "hours".

 

[Nadalfan2013]

Novak Djokovic withdraws from BNP Paribas Open - KESQ

World No. 2 Novak Djokovic will not be in Indian Wells for this year's BNP Paribas Open. The tennis star has withdrawn from the tournament.

kesq.com

 

[Jelenafan]