Novak Djokovic deserves criticism, but so do others in this sad saga

[ad_1]

As one of the most extraordinary days in professional tennis history drew to a close, uncertainty still reigned. Novak Djokovic had started Thursday at the start of what would become a ten-hour wait and interrogation at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport passport control, before his visa was canceled and deportation took place. profile.

He ended the day alone in an immigration hotel in Carlton. According to reports from Serbia, Djokovic’s vain hopes of leaving the hotel to join his team have been dashed, his only company being the bugs and bedbugs next to him in his room. Outside, fans gathered to wave their Serbian flags and sing Balkan folk songs into the night.

We still don’t know where Djokovic goes from here. He has appealed the federal government’s visa decision and will stay in Melbourne at least until Monday, the day of his hearing, hoping to put the case behind him. But even if he is able to overturn the decision and compete for his 10th Australian Open title, it was an undesirable and emotionally draining episode that didn’t help anyone and thought terribly about everyone involved.

On the pitch, Djokovic continues to perform magical feats. Last season every Grand Slam tournament seemed to bring in a new all-time record, from getting the record number of weeks at No.1 to the incredible feat of securing every Grand Slam and Masters 1000 tournament at least. twice. He is the male player of the decade by a mile.

Still, his jaw-dropping ability in the field is associated with his frequent tendency to self-sabotage. It is often said of the best players that their greatest opponents are themselves, but Djokovic takes it to new levels. He’s chasing history and a record-breaking 21 Grand Slam titles, but he’s so fascinated with alternative science that he was willing to complicate his chances by arriving unvaccinated at one of the world’s toughest borders. It is pride and self-confidence that drives his tennis but also that misleads him so often.

The decisions he makes reflect the need to have the right people with the right advice. It is particularly noteworthy that while Djokovic got stuck at the border, members of his team walked around Melbourne. The absurdity of this whole affair has been dissected by, of all, Rafael Nadal. “I think if he wanted to he would play here in Australia without a problem,” he said with a shrug.

A man walks past a hotel where Novak Djokovic is said to be staying in Melbourne. Photograph: William West / AFP via Getty Images

It seems unlikely that Djokovic will see this episode as an opportunity to grow up. More often than not, the injustices Djokovic perceives he has suffered tend to have the opposite effect, only strengthening his resolve and reaffirming the belief that he is one man against the world.

No matter how it turns out, this incident only sets the tone for the seasons to come. On the same day Djokovic flew to his destiny in Melbourne, Emmanuel Macron, the French president, controversially revealed his plan to “piss off” unvaccinated citizens. The French Open is the next Grand Slam by the way and it is likely that more vaccination warrants are ahead for the traveling group of tennis players, with more decisions to be made for Djokovic and others.

While Djokovic continues to be looked down upon, all entities involved deserve criticism. In recent years, it has become common to see Tennis Australia Managing Director Craig Tiley appear on television to iron out controversy and promote the best players.

Indeed, as Djokovic flew to Melbourne, Tiley was in the foreground as he reassured the public about the robustness of the medical panels that decided who got exemptions. Since the cancellation of Djokovic’s visa, he has stood out for his absence from the airwaves.

Tiley’s silence reflects the undeniable failures of Tennis Australia and the Victorian government, with these medical exemptions allowing Djokovic to enter the tournament but having no effect on federal border policy once he gets there. Tiley revealed that out of 26 applicants, only a “handful” of exemptions had been granted, some of which would now be scrutinized.

The failures of Tennis Australia and the government of Victoria do not condone the federal government and the feuds between state and federal entities that have defined this situation.

A day before Djokovic’s arrival in Australia, the country’s president, Scott Morrison, was questioned at a press conference about Djokovic’s imminent arrival; he described it as a problem for the state of Victoria. A day later, he quickly changed his tone. One might conclude that it was only then that he realized the political points to be seen to be seen acting harshly.

Shortly after Djokovic’s visa was canceled, Morrison cynically made the decision to take the credit, resorting to nefarious populist rhetoric about his border controls. “The rules are the rules, especially when it comes to our borders,” he said. “No one is above these rules.”

Ironically, however, a positive aspect of this incident is the increased attention to the cruelty of Morrison’s border policies. Even if he’s banned from the country, Djokovic will be fine. He has the resources and the profile to look for reps when most would have been sent on the first return flight. There are 36 refugees at the Djokovic’s Park hotel. Some have been stuck in the hotel for eight years, victims of the same border controls Morrison bragged about and treated odiously by the state ever since. They deserve the attention and compassion that politicians like Morrison lack. – Guardian

[ad_2]