The expulsion of Djokovic from Australia is a tragedy for sports, a triumph for a civilized society

Novak Djokovic lost his Australian visa case. The Australian Open will be held without the first racket of the world and the best player in history. The athlete was deprived of the opportunity to speak at the tournament for legal and political reasons. This is a very bad thing in terms of sports. But this is a completely logical decision on the part of the Australian government. Sports out of politics? Forget it. But now it’s the right decision.

Like it or not, but from a sporting point of view, this is a big loss. The first racket of the world is obliged to play in the best tournaments. This is an instant skew of the tournament grid in the other direction. For any AO winner, accusations are now ready that his trophy is not fully deserved. It’s good that although the Australians in the men’s bracket are far from the favorites, politicians would also be accused of deliberately playing along.

Matches of the first racket of the world and the first seeded tournament are the top for television broadcasts. This is a guaranteed maximum of tickets for games, the most expensive advertising, the largest information coverage. In addition, Serb fans are extremely active, there are a lot of them and you can always hear them well.

Add to this the already formed smack of scandal. If Djokovic still played at AO, we would also get a huge army of opponents in his matches. The already high broadcast ratings would have soared even higher.

Novak Djokovic has won the Australian Open nine times. Winning the tenth title is a historic achievement. This is a record that will last for years to come.

Another historic moment is the opportunity to win your 21st Slam in total. This is a chance to get ahead of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. We lived through a decade of three, maybe the best players in history. The Serb had the opportunity already in the winter to rewrite history in his favor.

But this story has another side. There, off the court, when the match ends, every tennis player is a completely ordinary person. Who has not only equals with all rights, but (and this is the most important) equal with all duties.

Novak Djokovic has become an absolute disaster for public health systems during the pandemic. He has repeatedly spoken out against vaccination, ignored safety and sanitary requirements, and was generally among the most notorious opponents of any anti-COVID measures.

Do not think badly whether to be vaccinated or not – this is really the right of every person exclusively. But this right also requires certain obligations. You may not fulfill them, but you lose part of the society’s resources. If you don’t want to be vaccinated against malaria, don’t go to Brazil, it’s simple. If you want to play a tournament in Australia, you must comply with what Australian laws require.

As for the vaccinations of tennis players, there is indeed an important point of the risk of losing shape. The vaccine is a certain stress for the body, which can significantly affect the state of health for several days and have, although less, but still a long-term effect. That is why many athletes were afraid to get vaccinated during the active game phase, so as not to worsen their own form. The solution is obvious – they were vaccinated either in the off-season or immediately after key tournaments, when they had the opportunity to give the body a rest. Djokovic was not going to do it in principle.

The biggest shame during the pandemic (up to this point) Novak covered himself a year ago. When the entire sports world closed, all tournaments stopped, Djokovic organized exhibition competitions in the Balkans. A few days of a fun holiday gave way to an outbreak of coronavirus, a dozen infected players and their families. JoeCOVID is the most ridiculous thing that could be created during a pandemic.

Under the new laws, only vaccinated foreigners could enter Australia. A therapeutic exception could be granted to those people who had recently recovered from the coronavirus. This is an obvious clarification, since the WHO does not recommend vaccination immediately after illness.

Novak Djokovic applied for an Australian visa on November 30, knowing local law. On December 16, Nole was tested positive, and already on the 20th, the results were again negative.

Obviously, when submitting documents, Novak was not going to do any vaccination, but he hoped for a therapeutic exception. How often do you plan your own illness, and even so that you can safely recover in three days?

Add to this the active public life of the Serb, who at the time of his infection was not isolated anywhere and continued to ignore security measures. And at the end of December, he calmly received the “exception” required to enter Australia.

The most interesting thing is that for most ordinary people this “scheme” could work. But Novak is a well-known public figure, and all his actions are in full view.

That is why the usual Australian border guard doubted the veracity of the Serb’s certificate. That is why Alex Gouk, the head of the migration service, went on principle and did not allow a potential “cheater” into the country.

Yes, this is a political decision, which was also confirmed by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Yes, it was adopted before the Australian elections, and this also had an impact. But Australian officials set an example of how the law should be implemented in essence, when a Serb was looking for a legal hook on how to circumvent it “in form.” And yes, it took significant political will to risk their own biggest tournament and oppose the interests of a top athlete, organizers and big sponsors.

This is the same equality before the law. Whether this law is good or bad is not for us to judge. Australians decide for themselves what laws will apply in their home.

So, while the decision to revoke Djokovic’s visa is a tragedy for the sport, it is actually a great triumph for civil society. It would be a real disgrace to allow a person who ignores your laws into the tournament.

As for sports and politics… One should not exaggerate the importance of sports in general. It is an opportunity for self-expression for some and an accessory for fans. Remember the well-known pyramid of needs. No top layer works when the basic principles are violated. When security is threatened, absolutely all needs “from above” become secondary.

And Djokovic.