Australia's Tourism Minister calls Novak Djokovic an "absolute stalwart" of Australian Open, says it would be a "shame" if the Serb is barred from the Slam
Australia's Federal Trade and Tourism Minister Dan Tehan believes it would be a "shame" if his government does not find a way to allow Novak Djokovic to take part in the 2022 Australian Open.
Djokovic has remained tight-lipped about his vaccination status throughout the pandemic, which has led many to assume that the Serb is yet to be inoculated against COVID-19.
Daniel Andrews, the Premier of Victoria, along with Alex Hawke, Minister of Immigration, recently declared that unvaccinated individuals would not be granted a visa into their country.
However, Scott Morrison, the Australian prime minister, asserted that unvaccinated individuals would be allowed to enter the country, if they underwent a mandatory two-week quarantine.
Australia's Federal Trade and Tourism Minister Dan Tehan shared the same view as Morrison, stressing that "common sense" must prevail in such situations.
“We need to use common sense here,” Tehan said on Sunrise. “If we can bring players in – and especially the best players in the world – and they can do two weeks quarantine, it seems to me like a common-sense proposition."
Tehan believes Novak Djokovic has been a "stalwart" of the Australian Open, which is why he should be allowed to defend his title in Melbourne provided he is willing to quarantine for the required period.
“Novak Djokovic has been an absolute stalwart of the Australian Open and one of the best players ever to play at the event," Tehan continued.
“It would be a shame if we couldn’t find a way, especially if he was prepared to do two weeks of quarantine, for him to come and defend the outstanding record he has at the Australian Open," he added.
Tehan also stated that staging the Australian Open successfully would show his country in a good light.
“It highlights Melbourne across the globe, I think we can use some common sense,” Tehan added.
Will Novak Djokovic be willing to undergo two weeks of quarantine to compete at the Australian Open?
Novak Djokovic is extremely conscious of his health and has often spoken out against mandatory vaccinations.
The 20-time Major champion is also not a big fan of quarantining, especially since two weeks in isolation can increase the chances of an athlete getting injured.
"It was not a good experience for us, for example, it was very difficult for Viktor," Novak Djokovic said of the quarantine restrictions for the 2021 Australian Open. "We had that quarantine where we could train, but if a man can't train, then ... Put a professional athlete in that kind of quarantine so he can't get out of the room, and then expect him to play on some level, really."
"Not to mention the increased risk of injury, of which there were many, including me at this year's Australian Open," he added. "If such conditions remain, I think that many players will think very well whether they will go or not."
Considering Djokovic's stance on hard quarantine, it appears as though the only option left for the Serb is to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, if he hasn't done so already.