Novak Djokovic's Vaccine Stance & Visa Troubles

[Kieran]

Someone in his team checked the box that he hadn’t travelled when he did? Had nadal or roger done this, none if you would be even discussing it.. ‘oh well, big deal’. I’vee seen people do these thinks where they get a visa to go to spain, travel all over europe and when asked say ‘only was in spain’.. many people do this, i’ve seen it. Yet what a horrible person novak is.. you guys are ridiculous…

Ahem, they wouldn’t. And didn’t.

Why is it so difficult for you, to criticise Novak when he’s wrong?

 

[Fiero425]

Ahem, they wouldn’t. And didn’t.

Why is it so difficult for you, to criticise Novak when he’s wrong?

Why are others looking for something to kvetch about when it concerns Djokovic? He's about to obliterate all the recs of Fedal; bothering 'em bad!

 

[MikeOne]

Ahem, they wouldn’t. And didn’t.

Why is it so difficult for you, to criticise Novak when he’s wrong?

Because it’s a non issue, nothing, a silly thing.. only angry trolls get all worked up over it. Fedalists..

 

[Moxie]

Someone in his team checked the box that he hadn’t travelled when he did? Had nadal or roger done this, none of you would be even discussing it.. ‘oh well, big deal’. I’ve seen people do these things where they get a visa to go to spain, travel all over europe and when asked at airpirt say ‘only was in spain’.. many people do this, i’ve seen it. Yet what a horrible person novak is.. you guys are ridiculous…you guys are insanely biased.

You are ignoring the purpose of this "box" in the current climate, particularly in Australia, which was in hard lockdown for a long time. They are an island nation. (Have you ever been there? They are also always very serious about you bringing in produce and vegetation that can carry vermin unknown to Australia. The luggage-sniffing dogs are not just about drugs and they are not kidding.) The question of "have you traveled to another country in the past 14 days" is not random, or pro forma. It was about covid. Also, whoever filled out that form knew they were lying, and Novak signed it. That's NOT a small thing.

 

[rafanoy1992]

McEnroe is upset that the US doesn’t want to change its vaccination policies so Djokovic can play the US Open. My question is was he major upset when Russians and Belarusians were banned from Wimbledon due to their nationality (and the players didn’t have control or say to the ban)? Or is he only upset because Djokovic can’t compete at the US Open?

 

[tented]

McEnroe is upset that the US doesn’t want to change its vaccination policies so Djokovic can play the US Open. My question is was he major upset when Russians and Belarusians were banned from Wimbledon due to their nationality (and the players didn’t have control or say to the ban)? Or is he only upset because Djokovic can’t compete at the US Open?

Yes, he did criticize them for banning the Russians and Belarusians.

 

[roberto]

These conversations have been going on for a time. You just don't come around until it suits you. The people that got all agitated with Novak winning Wimbledon were mostly you and Mike. The rest of us have been around here, and have already debated these issues. None of what you're saying is new around here. We didn't just dredge it up, basically you and Mike did.

I also think a lot of people have said around here that Novak is a fantastic tennis player. That is not even controversial. What Mike is doing, and I don't think you are, but you should be careful, is conflating what happened in Australia with some notion that people think Novak is a bad guy. What happened in Australia is as much as anything, procedural.

TBH, I thought when you first posted it, I thought you said that Rafa was waterskiing, which would involved the core. Jet-ski? Are you kidding me? Have you ever been on one? It's not that challenging. Good for you on the rest, if you're trying to be "neutral." Just try to remember that when you ask yourself if you're the only reasonable person around here.

But I HAVE been around--even if I don't post all the time. Please re-read the comments after Novak won=-LOTS of negative old stuff about him from you and many others. I'm asking that we focus on THE TENNIS and not "My daddy's stronger than your daddy" stuff. It's just not attractive. I know our society in general has gotten much more vitriolic and us vs. them, but can we at least try and keep this board free of character assassination/personal attacks on players and focus on the tennis? Or perhaps that would make the Tennis Forums too boring for some.......

 

[rafanoy1992]

It’s interesting that people are advocates of freedom of choice, but those people will get mad at groups/organizations that the results of the freedom of choice made by a person.

Novak Djokovic made a choice not to get vaccinated against COVID, he made it adamantly clear, he won’t get the vaccine. Ultimately, that’s the choice he made for him.

But for some odd reasons, people are mad that the US or other countries for vaccine mandates.

US is not forcing Djokovic to get the vaccine. It’s not like “Djokovic, you are fired if you don’t take the vaccine.”

It’s more like, “We have a policy that you have to be vaccinated to enter the country. If you ever decide to get fully vaccinated, then you are fully welcome to enter the country, no question asked!”

And as much as Djokovic is special talent, a country or USTA can’t make a special exemption to one player only. If USTA does that, then it will create a domino effect in which other unvaccinated players will also want special exemption.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

John McEnroe not allowing unvaccinated Djokovic into America in the US Open,

"These politicians are getting in the way too much.They did it in Australia. Let the guy come in and play in the US.I mean, this is ridiculous".

 

[Moxie]

It’s interesting that people are advocates of freedom of choice, but those people will get mad at groups/organizations that the results of the freedom of choice made by a person.

Novak Djokovic made a choice not to get vaccinated against COVID, he made it adamantly clear, he won’t get the vaccine. Ultimately, that’s the choice he made for him.

But for some odd reasons, people are mad that the US or other countries for vaccine mandates.

US is not forcing Djokovic to get the vaccine. It’s not like “Djokovic, you are fired if you don’t take the vaccine.”

It’s more like, “We have a policy that you have to be vaccinated to enter the country. If you ever decide to get fully vaccinated, then you are fully welcome to enter the country, no question asked!”

And as much as Djokovic is special talent, a country or USTA can’t make a special exemption to one player only. If USTA does that, then it will create a domino effect in which other unvaccinated players will also want special exemption.

To be clear, the USTA has no say in immigration policy. The only thing they could do would be to impose a vaccine mandate on the tournament, even if the US government lifted theirs, in terms of entry into the US. I don't see either of those things happening. Yes, some people are for freedom of choice of the individual to decide whether to vaccinate or not. Which is fine. But government policies are different things. Be for them or against them, but you're not getting around them.

 

[Moxie]

John McEnroe not allowing unvaccinated Djokovic into America in the US Open,

"These politicians are getting in the way too much.They did it in Australia. Let the guy come in and play in the US.I mean, this is ridiculous".

This is a fatuous, pointless comment. The US government does not give a toss about tennis. In fairness, though, he was also against the ban of Russian and Belarusian players at Wimbledon.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

This is a fatuous, pointless comment. The US government does not give a toss about tennis. In fairness, though, he was also against the ban of Russian and Belarusian players at Wimbledon.

I read his comment against the banning of Russian and Belarusian players, agree this US government does not give a toss about tennis, he also ranted that Biden should allow Novak in lol!

 

[Moxie]

I read his comment against the banning of Russian and Belarusian players, agree this US government does not give a toss about tennis, he also ranted that Biden should allow Novak in lol!

I like Johnny Mac, general purposes, but he does love to hear himself talk. No one is getting a special dispensation to play tennis in the US. We have much bigger border arguments than that, for starters.

 

[rafanoy1992]

What’s interesting is that I won’t be surprised if the US change its vaccination policies next year in 2023. So, Djokovic might just miss this year’s US Open.

But, his fans and other “media members” in social media think it’s the end of the world or something!

 

[Moxie]

What’s interesting is that I won’t be surprised if the US change its vaccination policies next year in 2023. So, Djokovic might just miss this year’s US Open.

But, his fans and other “media members” in social media think it’s the end of the world or something!

I don't know if they think it is the "end of the world," but they do seem to treat it as a personal vendetta of tennis and world governments on Novak. Somehow, things get conflated, but there are two things: one is that nations have their laws and policies about entry regulations for foreign nationals. The current covid ones are what they are, and I agree that the US is unlikely to make a change until into 2023. Mostly just because how government works. They have no especial incentive, and they have bigger fish to fry. This is the important, and immutable one, as we saw in Australia. Border guards just don't give a rat's ass about who you are, or what might be going on in the tennis calendar. The second one is what individual tennis associations and what players associations can do, or mandate. The USTA, or the USOpen could have its own covid policy, though it won't, as far as I can tell. NYC has related policies, so it's unlikely to be more strict, so if you're in the country legally, you're in the USO. But this is what everyone forgets about the AO: just because the state of Victoria and the AO decided to accept Novak's medical exemption, it didn't mean that the federal government of Australia had to. Obviously it got all crazy and political, but people need to understand there are a couple of different layers, and they are very separate.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I don't know if they think it is the "end of the world," but they do seem to treat it as a personal vendetta of tennis and world governments on Novak. Somehow, things get conflated, but there are two things: one is that nations have their laws and policies about entry regulations for foreign nationals. The current covid ones are what they are, and I agree that the US is unlikely to make a change until into 2023. Mostly just because how government works. They have no especial incentive, and they have bigger fish to fry. This is the important, and immutable one, as we saw in Australia. Border guards just don't give a rat's ass about who you are, or what might be going on in the tennis calendar. The second one is what individual tennis associations and what players associations can do, or mandate. The USTA, or the USOpen could have its own covid policy, though it won't, as far as I can tell. NYC has related policies, so it's unlikely to be more strict, so if you're in the country legally, you're in the USO. But this is what everyone forgets about the AO: just because the state of Victoria and the AO decided to accept Novak's medical exemption, it didn't mean that the federal government of Australia had to. Obviously it got all crazy and political, but people need to understand there are a couple of different layers, and they are very separate.

I would like to point out Ausralia's Federal government control our borders, and also they are in charge of Immigration, is why they Did Not Accept Novak's Medical Exemption. The Victorian Government, AO, CEO Craig Tiley at the end of the day they have no say who is allowed in Australia.
Craig Tiley has come out and said the other day he would be delighted if Novak Djokovic would be able to play at the AO in 2023, though that is not up him, it is up to the Federal Government.

 

[Moxie]

I would like to point out Ausralia's Federal government control our borders, and also they are in charge of Immigration, is why they Did Not Accept Novak's Medical Exemption. The Victorian Government, AO, CEO Craig Tiley at the end of the day they have no say who is allowed in Australia.
Craig Tiley has come out and said the other day he would be delighted if Novak Djokovic would be able to play at the AO in 2023, though that is not up him, it is up to the Federal Government.

Speaking of this, has Tiley ever come up for any sanction of question about how HE handled all of it? There was quite a strong feeling that he was pushing hard to try to get Novak in, and hoping that it would all just work out. Any blowback there?

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Speaking of this, has Tiley ever come up for any sanction of question about how HE handled all of it? There was quite a strong feeling that he was pushing hard to try to get Novak in, and hoping that it would all just work out. Any blowback there?

Tiley must have friends in high places eg the board of Tennis Australia, I felt he should have stood down, his handling of the whole Novak debacle warranted it, nothing at all, he continues in his current job.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

In regards to Novak not being allowed to play at the USO, I am hearing some of his fans think he can get into Texas okay and then travel to NYC? have they got rocks in their heads lol!

 

[kskate2]

In regards to Novak not being allowed to play at the USO, I am hearing some of his fans think he can get into Texas okay and then travel to NYC? have they got rocks in their heads lol!

The only way he could get into Texas is if he flew to Mexico first and tried to come in illegally at the border there. And even then, there's no guarantee. I think he would have to state his intention to request asylum and I'm pretty sure all those crossing the border have to get the jab and go to a holding center if they want to stay. I don't see that happening. So Texas is a non-starter.