Novak Djokovic, world’s number one tennis payer, flew halfway around the world only to encounter border officials who revoked his visa and detained him upon arrival into Melbourne, Australia. Officials downplay politics but the revocation comes after public fury over the grant of a COVID-19 vaccine exemption for Djokovic.
Novak Djokovic Detained In Australia After His Visa Was Cancelled
Australians are growing increasingly wary of how both federal and state governments have handed COVID-19. While Australia embraced a containment policy and sealed its borders early in the pandemic, cases are surging in the country despite over 90% of citizens over the age of 16 being vaccinated.
Enter tennis star Novak Djokovic, who flew from to Melbourne via Dubai on Emirates ahead of Australian Open, which is set to begin on January 17, 2022. Djokovic has won the tournament nine times in the past.
Although he had been granted a medical exemption to enter the state of Victoria without a COVID-19 vaccination, when word leaked out the issue became a political hot potato, with health officials facing a strong backlash for a “rules for thee, not for me” approach to Australia’s vaccination/immigration policy (which we’ve covered before with celebrities like Nicole Kidman).
Australian Prime Minster initially denied that politics were involved in Victoria’s decision to deny Djokovic entrance, but admitted:
“When you get people making public statements – of what they say they have, and what they are going to do, and what their claims are – well they draw significant attention to themselves.”
Public officials had not made clear on what grounds Djokovic’s exemption was initially granted. The tennis star has not addressed his own vaccine status publicly, but did express general anti-vaccine sentiment last year.
Djokovic is now being held at a government quarantine hotel while a court decides whether he will be deported.
This news item may seem only tangentially related to travel, but it impacts a traveler in several potential ways:
- While Australia may be particularly harsh, a country can deny anyone at the border, even if all paperwork is valid: as a visitor, you have no right to enter a foreign nation.
- Travelers can become political pawns.
- As COVID-19 ebbs and flows, more countries will likely take a stringent approach concerning travelers who are not vaccinated: unvaccinated travelers should keep this in mind.
- Australia’s haphazard approach to this issue is indicative of its overall COVID-19 policy: foreign travelers should not expect to be able to travel to Australia as a tourist anytime soon as the country continues to search for a viable strategy for handling the virus going forward.
CONCLUSION
Novak Djokovic has been detained in a quarantine hotel after his visa was revoked upon arrival in Melbourne. Australian officials claim politics was not involved, but his vaccine exemption was revoked only after public outrage when it leaked out.
I have very strong thoughts on this case, as you might imagine, but today I’m just reporting the news.
What are your thoughts, from a traveler’s perspective, on what happened to Djokovic?
His exemption was granted under normal procedures, with his identifying information redacted – it wasn’t a special exemption.
When there was political outrage, the visa was cancelled.
He wasn’t told in advance.
This is a shameful incident for Australia, an indication of the decline of the rule of law there. Sad!
And by the way Omicron is spreading widely now in Australia, this is no longer even about enforcing Covid-zero.
It was a special exemption in a way, as the organizing tennis body was making the determinations about “eligibility” that the Australian government was accepting until it couldn’t.
I once got denied admission into Australia because they didn’t like my idea of entering the country with the approved ETA during a multi-hour transit en-route from the US to New Zealand via Australia. Was my being escorted to the international departures area of the Australian airport after an ABC office visit a sign of the breakdown in the rule of law in Australia? Then this kind of thing is nothing new and not an indication of the breakdown of the rule of law.
ABF, not ABC.
When it is done in response to mob outrage it is.
Border control in many a developed country acts on stereotypical prejudices which are also part and parcel of mob outrage and playing to mob outrage. This is nothing new with Australia.
And some may even claim that Covid-19-related border control restrictions around the world are part and parcel of a kind of mob outrage and playing to mob outrage. That’s not my take, but there are different views on this.
I don’t see exactly how this tennis money rainmaker’s immigration control-related status change with regard to Australia is a sign of the breakdown of the rule of law in Australia. It could be that the rule of law is finally being applied regardless of the circumvention to the rule of law not applicable to us mere mortals with the tennis skills of a sack of potatoes who aren’t major entertainment world rainmakers.
Why do you have a photo of yourself talking on a mobile phone
He got an exemption to PLAY from tennis Australia, not an exemption from the Fed govt to enter the country. The Fed govt controls borders, not TA or the state govt. He incorrectly assumed the exemption from TA would let him into the country. While he was correctly rejected, he should of never been allowed to board the flight (or had his visa denied) and has definitely become a political pawn and def been a bureaucratic mess.
Gary, the state of Victoria and Tennis Australia had a medical panel which granted an exemption to enter and play in Victoria. It seems they were mistakenly under the impression that this exemption would allow him to actually enter the country. The state of Victoria (never mind Tennis Australia) have no authority to decide who gets to enter and leave Australia, or whether exemptions to visa requirements can be granted. This was not Home Affairs or the Border Force who granted the “exemption.”
Furthermore, the ATAGI, the division of the health ministry which runs immunisation policy in Australia, advised Tennis Australia TWICE in writing in November that previous COVID infection (which is apparently what Victoria and TA granted their specific exemptions under) would not be considered valid reasons for exemption to vaccination requirements to enter Australia.
FURTHERMORE, it’s been reported that the visa he obtained, does NOT actually allow any exemptions to vaccination requirements. It was probably one of the sub-category 400-numbered visas that are themselves exemptions to the restriction on entry itself by foreign nationals, not exemptions from vaccination requirements.
If political and popular outrage (“mob outrage” as you call it) in Australia led the government to actually enforce its own visa rules, then that’s fine with me.
Sounds to me like perhaps exemption situations were left too much to the determination of an organizing tennis body that saw things differently than a government under public pressure. And after increased public complaints the government had to act to override the representations of a panel set up by a tennis organization since the tennis legend has not been vaccinated and has not been accepted as having had recovered from Covid-19 within the past six months.
Keep in mind this tennis star has a history of having weird ideas without any basis in science; and his anti-vaccine positions are just part of that.
“World number one tennis payer”? Slip of the tongue? 🙂
Organizations jump through hoops to get in those who are the “payers”— in terms of those who are ultimately enabling the organization to pay the bills. The superstars playing bring in the money that pay the bills.
I’ve always been a big Novak fan since the beginning of his career BUT his diva antics the last couple of years have made me dislike him. He throws temper tantrums and seems to feel he is above everyone else and that is a problem. Is he a great tennis player? Yes but he is not above the law and rules and getting an exemption was not right in the first place as everyone should abide by the same rules. He has shown constantly that he feels a different set of rules applies to him and it is unacceptable for someone in his position to act this way. Nadal and Federer are class acts and I am loosing respect for Novak more and more.
Curious and still seeking info as to what exactly his, “medical exemption” is. Finding this to be complete BS as it pertains to a healthy 34 year old athlete. Perhaps it was revealed to be completely made up and thus the issue.
@Gary Are you really so easy as to think that his redacted name was actually a big secret to those approving his medical exemption? I am sure there were many winks and handshakes of info provided to make certain his application was approved no matter how suspicious. Ya know, the back room dealings of sports federations around the world have proven to be all so upstanding and by the book, lol
He is fully immunated.
From an article I’d read last night, there are/were two issues:
1. He was granted a “normal” visa – one that doesn’t necessarily speak to health-based permissions vis-a-vis all the stuff that’s come about with Covid. So it was essentially the “wrong” visa.
2. He claims to have had Covid in June of 2020 which, per some governing body/bodies (it’s never mentioned who, specifically) provides a degree of temporary immunity in lieu of a vaccine. There’s now apparently discussion as to how long that temporary immunity lasts and whether or not having had Covid is even a suitable replacement at all for the vaccine based on Australian law. Additionally, it appears that he can’t actually prove that he had Covid even if it were an acceptable replacement.
So, it sounds like there were screw-ups all around, independent of Djokovic’s potential shenanigans and his vehement anti-vaxx stance.
I assume his medical exemption is that he already had Covid after his antics at his tournament this past summer. Likely claim is that he still has antibodies.
I think Gary has his facts wrong
– Novak’s exemption TO PLAY IN THE TOURNAMENT was granted under normal procedures, with his identifying information redacted – it wasn’t a special exemption.
– Novak, like everyone, still has to comply with Australia’s entry requirements. Novak wasn’t able to provide appropriate evidence to meet the entry requirements to Australia, and so his visa was cancelled.
You can criticize Australia and the airlines for not having a mechanism to check entry requirements are met before departure.
You can’t criticize Australia for having haphazard rules. Their rules are very consistent.
Ensuring no one is above the rule of law is admirable, and the US should strive for the same.
P.S. Considering Macron wants to life miserable for the unvaccinated, its only time before Novak is faced with a vaccine requirement for the French Open.
Can’t yet speak to the Australia Open this time, but the French Open earlier in this pandemic was done such that being a US visitor approved to be part of the French Open in 2020 was more or less an entry ticket into the Schengen Zone and France in particular even as most US persons were then prohibited from entering France from the US. The French government went along with what the Open organizers wanted in terms of entries to the country for the French Open. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a bit of the same kind of dynamic for this Open in Australia.
Its a valid point, but as Matt demonstrates repeatedly, European countries and the US have business exemptions to covid entry requirements that are wide enough to drive a truck through. If Australia had such an exemption, there would be a lot more travel to Australia right now.
There is still a lot to be answered here – yes the publicized exemption was from Tennis Australia to play in the tournament, but do we really think they are not connected to the government to ensure that the players they are approving to play are also meeting immigration entry requirements??
I’m not sure why what you think or I think is relevant here.
According to the NYTimes, “State government and Australian tennis officials had granted Mr. Djokovic an exemption from Covid vaccination rules that would allow him to compete in the event. But upon his arrival, federal border officials said that Mr. Djokovic did not meet the country’s requirements for entry because he was unvaccinated, and they canceled his visa.”
In the end, we each are responsible for ensuring we meet a country’s entry requirements.
I know of close acquaintances and others who got exemptions to enter via the tennis opens in France and Australia during this pandemic. Having the tennis organizations facilitate access to being eligible for an exemption to enter a hosting country during the pandemic didn’t equate to a hosting country scrapping all entry requirements each country has had applicable during this pandemic while hosting such events. Nor did it equate with having a blank check to enter and having an irrevocable exemption to do so.
Thanks, I totally agree. My point is, why would the Australian Open not attempt to align its requirements to with the requirements of its country? What is the point of medically exempting players to play in the tournament when they don’t meet the medical exemption requirements to enter the country.
Its all about fairness, Rightly or wrongly AU Gov have imposed draconian controls on the general population for the past 2 years. People get pissed off pretty quickly when they see that the controls only apply to the little people.
Nothing at all to do with breakdown of law and order, if anything it is an example of a more fair application of the law.
FWIW, I think AU Gov current controls are probably no longer fit for purpose
Let him play after he makes a generous “unexpected” donation to a local charity for a few million dollars.
Tournament goes on until January 30th, for at least those players who perform well enough and stick around to the end if it is worth their while.
Maybe if the tennis legend does his dose in a quarantine hotel long enough, he can make it out to participate and add to his legend.
FWIW, his mother and father claim their son is being treated as a prisoner.
Unfortunately, he can’t just join the tournament whenever. If he is in quarantine, and his current isolation counts toward that, he would leave quarantine one day AFTER the final day of Round 1 matches.
No Round 1 byes at Grand Slams. If he doesn’t play round one, he doesn’t play. Dude’s not playing this year.
Australia claims that Djokovic is free to leave, as in free to leave Australia should he want to do so:
https://news.google.com/articles/CBMiMWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy93b3JsZC1hdXN0cmFsaWEtNTk5MDM3ODXSATVodHRwczovL3d3dy5iYmMuY29tL25ld3Mvd29ybGQtYXVzdHJhbGlhLTU5OTAzNzg1LmFtcA?hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US%3Aen
It also indicates that his representations made on arrival are what landed him in trouble.
Australia is also investigating some other tennis tournament participants for possibly being in violation of Australia’s entry requirements, with the Australian government having some intelligence indicating that some others may not have been honest about their situation when it came to representations made on arrival to Australia.
It seems like some people who got cleared by the tennis organization and by Victoria may have gotten cleared on a basis of representations which are in misalignment with some facts or circumstances. Foul play can’t yet be discounted as being applicable in at least some part.
I don’t like Djokovic at all BUT in this case he hasn’t done anything wrong. This is a huge political theater and at the end it is all about money. Australia knows that having the tournament without the number one player is bad. It won’t attract the same sponsors, TV audience, etc… It is like playing a soccer World Cup without Brazil, Germany or France. Thus, they granted him the exemption to play. Problem is that the population of Australia has their own Lord Fauci and Demented Brandon making their lives miserable so giving permission for Djokovic to do what they have been forbidden to do for over two years has become a big deal. The problem is why let the guy land in Australia to then screw him up? Why not just deny the visa in the first place? Australia has become a disgraceful country and if I am Djokovic I would never step my foot there again.
Pull the tournament from them. It’s time to punish lands with draconian policies.
Who is going to pull the tournament? Nobody. It’s the Australian Open, and it’s a Tennis Australia event with these event organizers wanting the money it means.
Ooooh boy you’re going to have fun advocating, then, for pulling four of the biggest tennis tournaments in the world—the US Open, Indian Wells, Miami, and Cincinnati—from the United States, then.
In case you haven’t checked, foreign nationals need to be vaccinated to enter the United States, with VERY limited exemptions, none of which Djokovic qualifies for.
Limited exemptions? Does that include the open Southern border? Are they checking the vaccinations of the criminals sneaking in daily?
The reference is to formalized, legal exemptions so as to participate in tennis tournaments in the US.
The obsession with irregular immigration, and its pros and cons, have no relevance to the reference to formalized, legal exemptions for visiting foreigners to participate in US tennis tournaments.
Is there a study on whether people with a passionate obsession with irregular immigration have a shorter lifespan because of the angry, self-induced stress that the issue causes them? Is there a study on whether people with a passionate obsession with irregular immigration have a shorter lifespan nowadays because of being anti-vaxxers and pro-“let it rip” “natural herd immunity” proponents when it comes to Covid. We already have indications that Djokovic is an anti-vaxxer. Do we have indications that he also has an unhealthy obsession with irregular immigration? It would be a real shame if Djokovic’s game becomes a casualty of his twisted thinking on multiple fronts, but that’s upon him at this point.
I wouldn’t necessarily take it as a given that Djokovic did nothing wrong in this case, but somewhere something went wrong since he was subjected to an Australian denial of entry despite being under the reasonable impression that he was a sure-in. I am going to guess that this time too there was an agreement between the big money-draw event organizers and the hosting country’s authorities about the event being able to get in the foreigners it needs for the event to be the kind of money-draw needed by the organization and wanted by the host country.
Considering this is a travel blog, why isn’t any attention being paid to the airline, which has responsibility to verify entry requirements. In fact, the Aussie govt website says this directly:
If you do not have your medical contraindication … you will need to show airline staff a medical certificate that indicates you are unable to be vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine because of a medical condition. The medical certificate must be in English and include the following information:
…
Airlines are responsible for ensuring your proof meets these requirements.
The finger-pointing is in full swing. Victoria blames the tennis organization; the tennis organization and Victoria blame the Australian federal government; the Australia federal PMO DPMO and Home officials alternatively blame the tennis organization and/or Djokovic; and the Serbian President drives a conspiracy theory about anti-____ forces at work around the world abusing Djokovic as a pawn/collateral damage in a geopolitical game and wants Djokovic to get an accommodation upgrade.
Seems like Djokovic is in for a Christmas (Eastern Orthodox) to remember.