Love, Balls and Courting: Tennis V

[Aussie Willy]

Well this is some start to 2022

Djokovic set to be deported from Australia

Novak Djokovic's hopes of defending his Australian Open title look over after being refused entry into the country.

www.rte.ie

Haha he has been refused entry to Australia. Australians were really pissed about him thinking he had the right to come here without being vaccinated and getting special treatment.

 

[*Jen*]

Haha he has been refused entry to Australia. Australians were really pissed about him thinking he had the right to come here without being vaccinated and getting special treatment.

We certainly are. But it seems the issue is the exemption was from Tennis Australia to play…not from the Australian government for the purpose of a visa. So he either applied for a visa that required a vaccine (rather than an exemption), or the government has rejected the exemption. Unclear which.

 

[miffy]

I know it’s probably wrong to be this interested but I have been waiting all evening to see what happens

I wonder if the other players who were granted medical exemption applied for the correct visa, and if so if they were granted it or if the federal government will just say no to them all? I haven’t heard who the others are, just that a few out of the 26 who applied were successful. I guess they sensibly kept quiet about it or maybe just aren’t well known.

Assuming Novak doesn’t reapply and get in I don’t think anyone will win the big 21st grand slam till the summer - Rafa has just had Covid and is only just back after surgery and Roger is not playing. Much as I would love to see Rafa do it I think it will be Zverev or Medvedev, or maybe Tsitsipas or Rublev….

 

[Fiero425]

We certainly are. But it seems the issue is the exemption was from Tennis Australia to play…not from the Australian government for the purpose of a visa. So he either applied for a visa that required a vaccine (rather than an exemption), or the government has rejected the exemption. Unclear which.

The whole episode's shameful! Looks as if Novak thought if he waited them out that they'd allow him into the country w/o a vaccine!

 

[*Jen*]

I know it’s probably wrong to be this interested but I have been waiting all evening to see what happens

I wonder if the other players who were granted medical exemption applied for the correct visa, and if so if they were granted it or if the federal government will just say no to them all? I haven’t heard who the others are, just that a few out of the 26 who applied were successful. I guess they sensibly kept quiet about it or maybe just aren’t well known.

Assuming Novak doesn’t reapply and get in I don’t think anyone will win the big 21st grand slam till the summer - Rafa has just had ********* and is only just back after surgery and Roger is not playing. Much as I would love to see Rafa do it I think it will be Zverev or Medvedev, or maybe Tsitsipas or Rublev….

We don’t know that there are other players who got exempted, it could be staff. But agree on the

The whole episode's shameful! Looks as if Novak thought if he waited them out that they'd allow him into the country w/o a vaccine!

I’m no fan of his but I don’t think that’s right. I suspect he conflated the medical exemption to play with a medical exemption for visa purposes which is an easy enough mistake to make - if that’s even what’s happened. The visa system here is complex and vaccines and c*vid are very political right now. I suspect he can go offshore and apply for the right visa and come back in a few days.

 

[Fiero425]

We don’t know that there are other players who got exempted, it could be staff. But agree on the

I’m no fan of his but I don’t think that’s right. I suspect he conflated the medical exemption to play with a medical exemption for visa purposes which is an easy enough mistake to make - if that’s even what’s happened. The visa system here is complex and vaccines and c*vid are very political right now. I suspect he can go offshore and apply for the right visa and come back in a few days.

We can only hope! It would mark the tournament for all time if they don't allow the #1 player & defending champion to play!

 

[eusebius]

Yep ... colour me confused!!

 

[Aussie Willy]

We can only hope! It would mark the tournament for all time if they don't allow the #1 player & defending champion to play!

The damage has been done. When over 90% of Australians are vaccinated and particularly in Melbourne have been in lockdowns over the last two years, then if you are not vaccinated, be prepared to get sh*t hung on you big time. No one will care if he is here or not.

 

[misskarne]

Haha, feck off and good riddance, Novax Djocovid!

 

[*Jen*]

We can only hope! It would mark the tournament for all time if they don't allow the #1 player & defending champion to play!

Why? It’s nothing to do with the tournament, it’s about him not applying for the right visa or not having the requisite evidence for his visa.

His exemption was only by tennis Australia to play in this tournament. He needs a different exemption or better evidence for his visa. Two very different things.

 

[caseyedwards]

What’s the problem with getting one little shot? Jnj is one shot. I don’t get it. Though I guess I’m not really sure If that counts as vaccinated in Australia anymore.

 

[Tesla]

Haha he has been refused entry to Australia. Australians were really pissed about him thinking he had the right to come here without being vaccinated and getting special treatment.

I’m not Australian, and I wasn’t happy about his exemption.

 

[*Jen*]

What’s the problem with getting one little shot? Jnj is one shot. I don’t get it. Though I guess I’m not really sure If that counts as vaccinated in Australia anymore.

It would, for the time being, though I suspect later in the year a booster will be needed to be considered fully vaxxed.

I’m very pro-vax but accept people have a range of reasons for not wanting it and can choose. That said, there are consequences of that choice and not being allowed a visa is one of them.

The big issue is that with how anti-vax he has been, people here doubt he has a genuine reason for an exemption and think he has used wealth and power to procure fake docs (whether that’s true, I don’t know). The other issue is that the federal government here are VERY unpopular right now and are jumping on the public sentiment to gain a political advantage and I’m not sure that’s right either.

Plenty of other players who didn’t want to get vaccinated did in fact get vaccinated for this tournament and many of them think something smells very bad about his exemption. I’m enjoying the drama…but I’m kind of ambivalent about the outcome

 

[misskarne]

There's also the fact that last year, when the players were required to quarantine for the AO, including Novax, Novax then proceeded to whine about it (despite being put up in luxury accommodation, knowing about it well in advance, and being given freedoms while in quarantine that regular Australians didn't get). Which naturally went down like a lead balloon.

 

[Desperado]

Best article I’ve seen so far on the subject:

Why Novak Djokovic’s visa was rejected​

“The Australian Border Force does not necessarily accept that previously contracting COVID-19 – even in the past six months – qualifies as a valid exemption to not be vaccinated.”

 

[*Jen*]

Best article I’ve seen so far on the subject:

Why Novak Djokovic’s visa was rejected​

“The Australian Border Force does not necessarily accept that previously contracting *********-19 – even in the past six months – qualifies as a valid exemption to not be vaccinated.”

That’s what I thought - different standard of proof/different requirements between Tennis Australia and the Australian government.

 

[manhn]

Who are the other players who can compete and enter the country due to “medical exemption”?

 

[*Jen*]

Who are the other players who can compete and enter the country due to “medical exemption”?

We won’t ever know unless they tell us, as the process is covered by privacy law. There are a “handful” associated with the tournament. I think it’s doubtful any are players - they could be support staff.

I’ve read into it and to travel to Australia, a visa holder needs an exemption for medical reasons, which has to be a reason from a set list: basically various heart conditions or anaphylaxis from previous vaccines. Having had c*vid in the last 6 months doesn’t entitle you to an exemption for entry.

The other interesting thing is that it’s the responsibility of the airline to check the evidence before letting the passenger board. So basically whoever flew him in shouldn’t have allowed him in the plane. I think the airline hasn’t understood the exemption requirements, nor has he.

But this is based on an assumption the exemption was because he had c*vid. Do we know that’s the reason?

 

[Desperado]

But this is based on an assumption the exemption was because he had c*vid. Do we know that’s the reason?

As per all the media info I saw/heard, it’s the most plausible one considering the other medical exemption reasons would leave him unable to play elite tennis (ex. major cardiac issues).

ETA:

“Under ATAGI guidelines — which both TA and the Victorian government used in their assessments — there are just a handful of reasons a person may be exempt from being vaccinated, and most exemptions are temporary.

Those exemptions include:

• An acute major medical condition such as undergoing a major surgery
• Any serious adverse event attributed to a previous dose of a COVID-19 vaccine
• Evidence of a PCR-confirmed COVID-19 infection in the previous six months
• If the person is a risk to themselves or others during the vaccination process due to a developmental or mental health disorder”

Link to article.

 

[*Jen*]

As per all the media info I saw/heard, it’s the most plausible one considering the other medical exemption reasons would leave him unable to play elite tennis (ex. major cardiac issues).

ETA:

“Under ATAGI guidelines — which both TA and the Victorian government used in their assessments — there are just a handful of reasons a person may be exempt from being vaccinated, and most exemptions are temporary.

Those exemptions include:

• An acute major medical condition such as undergoing a major surgery
• Any serious adverse event attributed to a previous dose of a *********-19 vaccine
• Evidence of a PCR-confirmed *********-19 infection in the previous six months
• If the person is a risk to themselves or others during the vaccination process due to a developmental or mental health disorder”

Link to article.

Yes but the Victorian government has no power over visas. The Victorian government can choose to exempt someone from quarantine (usually a resident or citizen) but it is the federal government which decides to can and can’t enter in terms of visa holders, and their requirements are more strict. They don’t allow exemptions for previous infection - just a medical condition.

All temporary visa holders need to meet the federal requirements. A returning Australian citizen or permanent resident can come in and are subject to the less stringent requirements, but if unvaccinated, they need to quarantine for two weeks unless the state government exempts them (and they have less stringent requirements).

 

[Desperado]

I was only responding to your question about which reason he used for the medical exemption. Doubt we’ll ever know the medical info details.

In perhaps related news, or perhaps not, Djokovic’s PTPA partner Vasek Pospisil is not in Australia. No mention of an injury anywhere that I can find. Wonder if birds of a feather...

Canadian media is super protective of its stars so I don’t expect them to discuss his vaccine status, I just wonder.

 

[ryanj07]

Novak brought this on himself. Had he not been so smug and boasted about his “medical exemption” on Instagram, this probably would’ve been much quieter. People still would’ve questioned if he’d truly gotten vaccinated but it wouldn’t be 100% certainty that he wasn’t like it is now. I hope Australia stands strong and does not allow him entry.

 

[miffy]

I saw this on Twitter so not at all sure this is true but it said that the Australian government wrote to TA multiple times saying that having Covid in the last 6 months wasn’t worthy of exemption.
I also saw a post saying TA health officials have admitted the experts making the decision did not ask for any proof of what was declared - so did anyone ask in this process?!

As I said, I am not certain these are true but it doesn’t make TA look great if they are.

 

[*Jen*]

I saw this on Twitter so not at all sure this is true but it said that the Australian government wrote to TA multiple times saying that having ********* in the last 6 months wasn’t worthy of exemption.
I also saw a post saying TA health officials have admitted the experts making the decision did not ask for any proof of what was declared - so did anyone ask in this process?!

As I said, I am not certain these are true but it doesn’t make TA look great if they are.

So according to the radio (which is all abuzz today and yesterday), the experts make the decision based on the documents before them but don’t seek to verify them (so yeah, no corroborative proof of what was declared).

That said it seems highly unlikely that the border officials sought to verify them and verified them as inaccurate in the short time they had to make the decision. I think it’s more likely he declared he had c*vid, which isn’t enough to get into the country, and that Novak and his team thought it was enough.

TA were entitled to set their own rules for playing. Let’s not forget many Australians are playing who don’t need a visa to get into the country, so the tournament rules don’t need to align with border rules. It does make it complicated for players to understand but I don’t think TA has done anything wrong. It’s just stupid bureaucracy…

ETA: with TA and the medical boards not seeing info on exemption applications about name, age or nationality of the players, TA wouldn’t have known who the player was to warn re border requirements. Had he been an Australian resident or citizen it wouldn’t be an issue.

 

[Aussie Willy]

Someone sent a meme on FB saying:

An argument with Serbia is what started WW1 - just putting that out there.

 

[Deleted member 221]

This reeks of political opportunism, and the Australian government looking to distract from its own failed policies.

 

[Aussie Willy]

This reeks of political opportunism, and the Australian government looking to distract from its own failed policies.

No people here are really pissed off that he was seen to be getting special treatment over the average person. The government has actually done what is right.

 

[antmanb]

This reeks of political opportunism, and the Australian government looking to distract from its own failed policies.

Really? I think it's more about bureaucracy and people not figuring out what they need to enter a country.

I know of three different families this summer that were not allowed to board their planes because they didn't have certain forms filled out to travel.

Djokovic should not have been allowed to board his plane without everything in place but I imagine who he was got him further than unknown people who hadn't met the requirements.

A literal elite taking advantage of his position but you probably care more about his freedumb because he doesn't work from home

 

[Deleted member 221]

I think it's suspicious that that his visa was suddenly revoked after public outrage. If Australia granted him a visa, it should own the decision. If Australians are upset about being locked up inhumanely, they should blame their own government.

Granted, I disagree with Novak's stance on vaccination, and I think he's stupid / arrogant for publicly bragging about a vaccine exception after publicly speaking out against vaccines. But to retaliate with government interference is just unbelievable and does not reflect well on Australia.

I'm curious for the specifics of this case, and if other players were allowed in with vaccine exemptions.

 

[miffy]

I read he applied for the wrong visa. One that you couldn’t match with a medical exemption.

I have also read that 3 other people have been let in with the same medical exemption as Novak, but they had more documentation. So it sounds like they have let some others in and maybe his appeal would go through with better paperwork and the correct visa? I can’t imagine how unpopular that would be with locals now that this is so widely known.