Djokovic Granted Permission to Compete in Australian Open Despite Being Unvaccinated
There follows a guest post by tennis fan David Hansard, a contributor to the Daily Sceptic as well as Quillette and the Conservative Woman, about the news that Novak Djokovic, the highest ranked male player in the world, has been granted an exemption to the rule that all competitors in the Australian Open have to be vaccinated. Needless to say, this has annoyed a lot of Covid hysterics.
Contrary to many people’s expectations, world number one Novak Djokovic, has announced he is to compete for a tenth Australian Open title. Following months of doubt and speculation about whether he would be allowed to play, he has been granted a medical exemption from being vaccinated against Covid. The news came only 12 days before the tournament is due to begin.
Djokovic has always refused to reveal his vaccination status. It was assumed by many – correctly, it now turns out – that he has not been vaccinated. Under tournament rules everyone who attends – whether players, spectators, media or staff – must either be vaccinated or have an exemption.
As one of the fittest people on Earth, it was difficult to see how Djokovic would be granted an exemption. For a long time it seemed that his only option was either to get vaccinated or to miss out on what has been the most successful tournament in the champion’s career – he’s the current title-holder. The latter seemed the far likelier outcome. Djokovic’s challenge to Federer and Nadal as the male player with the most grand slam titles looked set to be delayed until later this year.
But after his request for exemption was granted by medical experts in Australia, he is now on his way to Melbourne.
It has delighted many but – as expected – it has also annoyed some in the tennis world, including Andy Murray’s brother Jamie. A lot of the reaction on social media has been particularly splenetic, whether against Djokovic himself, the tennis authorities, or the Victorian authorities, who have waived the need for him to quarantine for 14 days on arrival. The torrent of abuse began minutes after the news broke. Djokovic was immediately cast as evil and selfish, indifferent to others’ well-being. Tournament organisers were attacked for recklessly showing favouritism to a crowd-pulling player, prioritising profit over public health.
It does not seem to matter to most critics whether Djokovic has, in fact, got a valid reason for exemption, or even that exemption is allowed under the rules. For the most part they vaguely assume he is being dishonest, and that despite his application having been anonymously assessed by two independent panels, something nefarious is afoot. Nothing washes with them, including the possibility – as the BBC reports – that the exemption may have been granted because vaccination can be deferred if you have recently been infected with Covid. Tournament Director Craig Tiley has said some other players have already been granted exemption, yet Djokovic is the one in the cross hairs.
We will probably never know the reason for the exemption, and rightly so. It’s a private matter. But whatever the explanation, the response of his critics, though expected, is disappointing. Their intolerant and inflexible behaviour is distinctly authoritarian, something we have grown used to from the start of the pandemic.
Djokovic didn’t become the world number one – and arguably the greatest male player of all time – just because of his supreme tennis skills. It’s also thanks to his commitment, persistence and physical and mental resilience. Many who are unhappy with the tournament’s decision have expressed the hope that Djokovic will be punished by the crowd in Melbourne, and his performance adversely affected. That’s wishful thinking. Although Djokovic is not entirely immune to the feelings of spectators, his critics will be disappointed if they believe a few boos will prevent him from winning another grand slam tournament.
Stop Press: The Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison has threatened to put Djokovic “on the next plane home” if he can’t provide evidence of his vaccine exemption status.
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Good for Djok….. stuck to his principles and gets treated like an elite
You took the words out of my mouth.
He should just not go after all this
That would be funny. But I get why he wants to play, who knows how many more Slams he’ll get into.
No, he should go, he has won this tournament many times
Brilliant. As a previous supporter of Andy Murray, I am not surprised that he was knocked out of another tournament innthe Soviet Gulag of Australia.
Of course seeing as the Murray’s are Sturgeon fans, it is no surprise that one of them would knock the beter other Jock ovich
The wrath of the regimes nomenklatura, associated collaborators and the duped is about to descend on Djokovic. He cannot be allowed to defeat the system. No one is safe until everyone is safe.
Standby for the ‘Djokovic variant’ first identified in Australia and responsible for millions of deaths – according to Ferguson.
Excellent news. He is also extremely careful about anything that he puts into his body (fully vegan for circa ten years). So it’s no surprise that he is not signing up for the vaccines.
I doubt any mainstream media will cover it in the avalanche of press to come but the French tennis player Jeremy Chardy had to end his season last year due to a severe adverse reaction.
The hypocrisy is further exemplified by the fact that Nadal (fully vaccinated) tested positive for covid three weeks ago but nobody seems to be able to conflate that episode with vaccine mandates being rather pointless.
Good luck Nole!
Will be interesting to see how fully vaxxed Nadal performs compared to the likely unvaxxed Nolo. As an elite and very wealthy sportsman, almost emblematic of his country, to the point where his life and conduct forms part of the spanish school curriculum, I wonder did Nadal get a saline shot? Hard to avoid that conclusion.
I am predicting that Nolo will be booed by the crowds – but he will cope with it.
What I personally find difficult is, how come the likely unvaxxed Djokovic can travel [without vaccine passport] and gets an exemption – if he can do it then why can’t others with medical conditions which would prevent them being jabbed also travel, say to receive healthcare in another country, and get an exemption? Or just do the things that they used to do as normal before jab passports became a thing?
I believe they can?
If you qualify for and can successfully receive an exemption then you are able to bypass many of the vaccine requirement regulations. Please someone correct if I’m wrong.
The Spanish are deep adopters of the covid narrative though. Think voluntary outdoor mask wearing by a large proportion of society, even after mandates were removed. Kids never stopped wearing them in school there for the last two years and not many parents complained. Personally I think it’s far more likely he is indeed vaccinated.
Tennis-wise Djokovic should have the better of him on hard court you would think. Medvedev would appear to be the toughest opponent on paper. Djokovic will undoubtedly get some abuse from the crowds but he should be able to handle it you’d hope.
It would be quite ironic to see a mass outbreak amongst vaccinated players and have Djokovic consistently test negative.
I don’t doubt that Nadal is jabbed – you seem to have missed my key point – what was in his jab? the killing shot or saline???? we all know there are differing batches.
These guys are multimillionaires so anyone believes that their personal doctor will give them an honest shot? Hahaha good laugh. He probably received absolutely nothing. Just the certificate that he received it.
They can Milo. It’s not law it’s regulation which requires consent. No one is above the law but elites are above regulation and so are those who do not consent
Vegan? I thought he was low carb/Keto due to celiac?
Just checked, sounds super healthy, mainly veg, white meat, fish, no dairy, no gluten. Why anyone with that discipline and understanding of their body would pump an unnecessary, untested, potentially dangerous gene therapy into their veins is beyond me.
“indifferent to others’ well-being”.
According to the website of the Australian government, 91.5% of people over 16 are double vaccinated. But apparently one (1) person not being vaccinated can cause serious harm to others’ well-being. That in itself says the vaxx is shite.
Indeed, his business, where do people get off demanding that someone disclose their medical history to the world at large. In his case, I would claim an exemption on the basis that I had previously been diagnosed with the lurgy (as he had been, if I remember correctly) and many doctors have warned against people with prior exposure being poked. Particularly men under 40. One would think the risk of myocarditis for top athletes alone should be enough to warrant an exemption.
What a load of bollocks all this “vaccination” requirement nonsense is.
It’s pure, dishonest manipulation, because as we all know the “vaccinations” don’t stop you getting it or passing it on, and the very most they could possibly do is marginally reduce the possibility of either (and that’s not firmly established either). And since covid is endemic worldwide, including Australia, it’s literally stupid to try to limit people crossing borders when the vast majority of infections will be from indigenous sources anyway.
In view of all that, it’s transparently obvious that the only reason for the “vaccine” requirements for travel or entry to events, etc, is coercion, an attempt to make life less pleasant for the un-“vaccinated” in order to pressure them to take it.
There should be no compromise with this or with the advocates of such coercion. They are lying manipulative scum, and should be openly called such at every opportunity.
But it’s not about what they say it’s about.
Now, if it’s about principles he will refuse to compete, at least until the same rules are applied to all.
Agreed. That is the part I struggle with. He, in his position, could do SOOOOO much to call out the whole shit show for what it is. But he doesn’t. He claims an exemption, in other words engages with the system and plays its game, instead of saying the game is a world wide tyrannical con.
Especially in the country where he is going to play tennis. If ever there was a tournament he should have publicly and loudly boycotted it is this one.
We will get nowhere if we do not value and applaud every step in the right direction, and insist on all or nothing. By whatever means available we must save as much normality and as many people as possible.
Agreed. Djok is at liberty to represent his own interests and under no obligation to be a spokesman for or against vaccination. And who can blame him for not squandering an opportunity to add another grand slam to his legacy.
I’ve decided not to watch the Aussie Open this year because they’ve been such complete tits about the whole covid thing.
He’s under no obligation – no. But if he recognises that this ”vaccine” evil IS evil, then he should have made a stand. Many of us make a stand in our own tiny way, and some lose a lot by it. He would have been far more admirable making a huge and noble gesture than he would be by winning yet another trophy, one soon forgotten in a world that is rapidly diminishing (and of which he and his children are part, rich or not).
That’s a fair point – Australia could be viewed as somewhere like South Africa was under apartheid. The only issue is the whole world is like this, albeit not as bad as Australia (having idiotic restrictions against a mild virus that has been endemic in most places for almost 2 years).
> True, he left his options open,
he spent half the time lying but politely allowed Whitty and Vallance some time to lie in the other half. Eventually they ran out of lies, so Whitty gave one last lie to deny Omicron had peaked in London, Valance pushed his nose it to share the lie.It was basically a cluster lie https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/covid-news-omicron-tests-lateral-flow-vaccine-schools-cases/
A medical exemption should be a private matter? Sure, but what possible reason could he have for a medical exemption? It’s a joke. The whole requirements and exemption policy is a joke and the presiding committee should have to at least state the broad provision under which he’s been granted such an exemption so we can all have a good laugh.
On a side note, I’ve been giving myself a mask exemption on the basis of having an IQ above the level of common pondwater. I can’t possibly be asked to join the ranks of the schoolchildren whose points have dropped by 20 or more by having to recycle my waste fumes. The risks for me clearly outweigh the non-existent public benefit.
But I don’t expect that would hold up under questioning.
>having an IQ above the level of common pondwater.
you should display it more often
What a funny guy. Seriously, have you ever considered a career in stand-up comedy or hosting your own comedy TV show? Because your cutting, acerbic wit is truly legendary. How thoroughly original and prizeworthy. If I were that funny, I wouldn’t consider killing myself at all. “You should display it more often”. Genius.
Fuck the fascist cunts who rule Australia.
For me, the fundamental question is this: Did you provide evidence documenting your Covid/health status in order to enter somewhere/function?
Let’s say, despite being ‘exempted,’ Djokovic provides a ‘negative test’ in order to travel to the tournament? Regardless of his health (and I’m double happy he is not jabbed up), how is he defying the apartheid? Functionally speaking, how is he any better than the jabbed masses?
We have to be ‘purists’ here.
Certainly my own view is that I will not attend any event or business that imposes discrimination,as a matter of principle, even if they allow me some kind of exemption or bye.
But it might be that Djokovic attending as a “vaccine” dissenter is better for our cause than him boycotting would be.
‘But it might be that Djokovic attending as a “vaccine” dissenter is better for our cause than him boycotting would be.’ I’m sympathetic to this view, and I did consider it. I belive the situation is far too important and critical to play this type of game in the hope that it might resonate. Resonate with how many? Enough of a resonation to make a big impact? Highly doubtful. Now, brother, you might retort, ‘Well, ditto if he blanks the tournament!’ And I wouldn’t put up a sincere fight. I agree. His blanking the thing might be just as useless in terms of stirring the muddled masses. Okay. So here’s the rub. We now come to the most important of issues. Given these options, what is the morally correct thing to do? It seems to me that, If he is required to provide his Covid/health bona fides, and it seems clear that he will be required to do so, he ought to blank the whole thing. I’m open to your suggestion, and would be on board if we had good evidence and thus good reason to believe that it would achieve a greater good, but it seems to me that… Read more »
On the contrary, at every opportunity it should be shown to the public that because of the regime they will not get what they want to get. They want to see Djokovic, a famous tennis player. No Djokovic for them because the regime cancelled him. They want to travel. No travel for them because the regime made it unpractical. They want to shop. No shopping for them because the regime forbade it. Etc etc. This is the only way to open eyes of the dumb masses to reality – not to give them an exempted Djokovic and make them celebrate and get content with a “temporary prison pass” in place of the old freedom.
I agree that the principled stance would be to boycott the tournament. Thinking of the unvaxed fans who will be barred from attending; he should show solidarity.
No – I think he should never have applied for the exemption in the first place – it is playing the tyrants game, according to whatever “rules” they decide to set. In his exalted position, he could have snubbed the tournament – he still could do so – and put out a detailed statement saying why. He doesn’t have to state his medical status and can keep that to himself if he wants to. All he has to do is say that he thinks it is wrong and he could expand on that by spelling out some of the wrongs and the harms, especially of the vaxx. In his position people would have to sit up and take notice – it might not end the shit show but it might get people to start thinking which in itself would be huge. Of course, MSM would likely crawl all over any such statement he might issue, trying to denigrate its content. But if he puts it out there, doesn’t go, and THEN you have the situation where in that Aus heat, and under huge athletic stress, you have younger fit players collapsing. Then MSM cannot not report it or try to… Read more »
You can’t elect a person to a position that he doesn’t seek.
My point exactly. See above. I’m happy he isn’t jabbed up but why does he get licence to do ALL the things I would love to do but cannot because I am also not jabbed up.
Is it just because he is the world no 1 tennis player and their tournament would be devalued a bit if he didn’t play in it???
Is it because I am not a world no 1 tennis player and wealthy member of the elite?
‘Is it just because he is the world no 1 tennis player and their tournament would be devalued a bit if he didn’t play in it???’
Exactly.
And yet, he’s going. And we’re going to hold him up as, what, a hero? He’s been ‘granted permission’ to attend. Think about that. These odious pieces of filth ‘grant’ him ‘permission’, and he goes?!
If this is our hero, we have problems.
The message here is that if you are famous and collaborate with the regime, they might grant you some “special rights” in exchange. In other words, a nudge to other celebrities to collaborate. As for you plebs, they don’t give a flying fuck about you. That’s also a vital part of the message.
then instead of “letting them grant him some special rights” Djoko should say he is not going and say why – get that message out there
Exactly, his bending to the regime only helps legitimize their nonsensical rules.
He is playing the game – might not be vaxxed but still playing the game, accepting “the rules”
Djoko should play his absolute best, get to the final, take the jab on court, prior to playing, in front of everyone and then fake a collapse on match point. This would be fantastic for all freedom loving true bloods to watch. He could utterly devastate the narrative.
Given the heat at the tournament, and the toll that takes on players bodies when engaging in a grand slam tennis event, I would imagine there are going to be plenty of young fully jabbed players who might collapse during a match. This is the first Aussie grand slam where all will be fully jabbed [bar Novax] so like the premier league footie matches these are going to be interesting times.
No doubt the commentary teams have been fully briefed to call the collapses something other than what they likely are. Look away. Nothing to see here.
“Fault!”
Hold on, one of the other contestants may just give you the devastating show you desire.
Hope he wins. Hope he pulverises the opposition. Go it, Djo!
I hope he refuses to play; the Aussies don’t deserve him and, if he exploits the loophole, his principles no longer look so bright.
The farce continues.
Little people don’t matter, but this is serious business for the wizards of Oz.
So already we’re seeing different rules and treatment for celebrities and famous rich people.
When I was medically assessed for the national service in Germany in 1983, there were 5 levels:
T 1 Aryan Siegfried to T5 Hunchback of Notre Dame aka not fit to serve at all, not even in an office job.
Most folk got assessed as being T2.
Most of the World Cup winning soccer team of 1990 was assessed as being T5.
Just saying.
It was mentalism, wasn’t it?
I don’t know what to think. Whilst I admire him for sticking to his guns, I’m disappointed that he has not publicly condemned the very concept of medical apartheid in sport.
Maybe he will (publicly condemn the medical apartheid) when reflecting on his win. With all the world tuned in. That would be something to hear.
I think if he tried that option he would be so loudly booed by the crowd, who will likely all be vaxxed to the eyeballs that that isn’t going to play very well, especially having gone along with the medical apartheid to play in the first place.
Better not to go, not to play in the first place, and make a very loud point of saying why.
On the contrary, being one of the fittest people on earth is a perfect medical reason not to get jabbed with a far from safe experimental vaccine
Kudos if that was his angle…
being one of the fittest people on earth, not to mention mentally strong (we have all seen that in him on the court when he competes) I am REALLY struggling to wonder what on earth the grounds could be for his medical exemption – is it simply being world no 1??? is it being very wealthy so possibly able to pay off a compliant doctor? (allegedly)
I hope ONE story to come will cite the number of professional (or even college) tennis players who have died or been hospitalized from COVID in the past 23 months … Somehow though I don’t think this piece of information will be included in coverage about the “health risks” to healthy tennis players.
It seems like about 50 percent of NFL players have contracted the virus in the last several weeks … and 96 percent of NFL players (100 percent of coaches) are fully vaccinated. This tells us something … right?
It must have been Aaron Rodgers who infected them all!
Why is it the American football players aren’t collapsing like the European soccer players?
look at the LFC squad – training ground shut for 48 hrs and a lot of the players plus both coaches down with covid. Wonder what Jurgen Klopp thinks of that wonderful vaccine now?
Wouldn’t it be even more fantastic if he turned around and said I don’t support medical tyranny and therefore I refuse to play!
especially if he did it on their centre court just as they were tossing up for who is to serve first.
He’s one of the few players who is motivated to play even better whenever the crowd is hostile (not that I believe it will be).
He faced the AO organisers down – good for him!
There is an ivermectin panic on the big tech and MSM right now. Massive articles from MSM on Ivermectin trying to push a danger narrative and also negative press on Americans Frontline Dr’s, again, to keep the Covid narrative alive. Just go to the Goog and type ivermectin then look at all the panic news articles. We are over the target. Big-Pharma is panicking. This medicine has been widely used by humans without any problems for 40 years. It’s inventor won a Nobel Prize after 20 years of successful use and after 100 million people were cured of a broad spectrum of problems without any side effects. Get your Ivermectin while you still can! https://ivmpharmacy.com
I’m 100% on Djokovic’s side BUT it isn’t a private matter unless you are happy for authorities to have arbitrary powers which they can exercise secretly. and without any scrutiny.
That’s next level totalitarianism. Draconian rules which then bureaucrats can stick to or waive as they wish, without needing to give explanation to anyone. What a world….
How many of the 1% have to have multiple jabs to live their lives, is the answer none?
They wouldn’t knowingly poison themselves with their own bioweapon – certainly not just to pacify the serfs.
“…a lot of the reaction on social media has been particularly splenetic…”
That would be the nasty spike protein expressing itself.
I hope he has food tasters and body guards.
Given the fact Australians have now hit such desperation for their protests to be heard that they will set fire to themselves in public (as highlighted by another contributor – sorry I didn’t get the name), I think it’s very fair to compare this competition to the World Cup being shamefully held in Abu Dhabi.
And I think Djokovic is in for a hell of a rough time if he goes ahead and enters the Commie Covvie hell hole once known as Australia. The big question is: will he make it out without finding himself locked in one of their new gulags?
If the views of my covidian family are anything to go by, the crowd will be baying for his blood. The powers that be probably vet those who attend his matches and gauge whether they sufficiently hate him enough.
I can see something akin to 1984’s Two Minutes of Hate being played out and supported by morons like Andy Pandy Murray.
Let’s hope I’m wrong, but either way, let’s hope Djokovic uses the energy around him, positive or negative, to utterly destroy his zombie opponents.
I guess the down vote is from someone who will still be cheering on the Murray brothers despite them wanting to outcast and eventually genocide the un-jabbed – the virtue signalling brothers don’t care about the real natives being carted off to detention centres. Australia is a totalitarian hell hole now unfortunately.
There’s quite a number of people on here who don’t like this fraud being diagnosed as a modern strain of communism, instead choosing to resurrect the tired old nazi ghosts from the past.
Regarding the Murray’s, they’re no different to the likes of Gareth Southgate. It must be a condition of their sponsorship/endorsement of the media that they subscribe to the official narrative on everything.
They’ll be surrounded by Common Purpose goons who’ll forever be pumping shite into their heads, and certainly the case with Southgate, he’s likely being escalated up the ranks of freemasonry. I bet they even have ‘leverage’ on him now as well.
Ah yes, “granted by medical experts in Australia”. Purely a medical consideration, was it?
I can see Djkovic outlasting his contemporary challengers in more ways than one.