This “medical derogation” was granted to Serbian tennisman, who has never said whether or not it was vaccinated, “after a rigorous review” of the application, confirmed the organization of the tournament.
Le Monde with AFP
The last doubts have just fly away: the number one worldwide Novak Djokovic, who has never communicated his vaccinal status, announced on Tuesday (January 4th) on social networks, which he was leaving for Australia a “derogation”, two weeks before the beginning of the Tennis Australian Open, which will be held from 17 to 30 January.
“I had a great time with those I love during the holidays and today, I’m leaving for Down Under (Australia) thanks to a derogation. In front of 2022”, wrote the Serb on his Instagram account to accompany a photo of he took at the airport with a bag of rackets.
The Australian Tennis Federation, an organizer of the Australian Open, then confirmed in a statement: “Djokovic asked for a medical waiver that was granted to him after a rigorous review [of his application] involving two different groups And independent of medical experts. Novak Djokovic will participate in the Australian Open and is on the way. “
Fetish tournament
For months, Serbian tennisman allowed the doubt – because of the obligation to players to vaccinate to enter Australia – on his participation in the first of the Tournaments of Grand Slam 2022, where he will aim for a twenty-one The major title, he who had equaled Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal (twenty everyone) by winning Wimbledon last year.
Or the Australian Open, which he won nine times, is his fetish tournament: it was in Melbourne, in 2008, that the 35-year-old player won his first title of the Grand Slam, and no one did not get there as much as him. “I do not know if I’m going to go to Australia, I do not know what’s going on. The situation is not good,” he said to the Serbian Blic daily in October 2021. He then refused to say If he was vaccinated or not. “It’s a private affair,” he said.
Package for ATP Cup
After new evasive statements on his coming to Australia, his package without justification for ATP Cup, a few days before this team tournament organized in Sydney of 1 Er on January 9, still had yet thickened doubt about its participation in the Australian Open.
It had been expressed as of April 2020, against compulsory vaccination, then envisaged to allow the resumption of tournaments. “Personally, I’m not for vaccines. I would not like someone forcing me to vaccinate me to travel,” he said when a conversation with several Serb sportsmen on his Facebook page.
In June of the same year, the same year was criticized for organizing, in defiance of any sanitary precaution (stadium Full of the mask, braces between players and players on the court, common dinners and box outputs Night), Adria Tour, a charitable tournament itinerant in the Balkans.
At the end of this tournament, Djokovic had been tested positive at COVID-19, as well as his compatriot Viktor Troichki, Croatian Borna Coric and Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov. “I’m deeply sorry that our tournament may have caused such damage,” Djokovic had apologized at the time. “We were wrong, it was too early” to organize such a tournament, had he recognized.