Belgrade Jan 17 (BUS): Novak Djokovic may be banned from the French Open later this year because he has not been vaccinated against COVID-19, a prospect that has raised the tennis star’s risks just hours after he was deported from Australia and banned. Defending his title at the Australian Open.
A plane carrying the No. 1 ranked player landed in his native Serbia on Monday, closing at least the first chapter of a stunning drama that resonates in the world of elite esports, an Associated Press report said.
Djokovic was expected to receive a huge welcome from his countrymen, many of whom believe he was treated unfairly in Australia. But only a handful of fans waving the Serbian flag greeted him at the airport in the capital, Belgrade.
At the same time, clouds gathered over what comes next for the player: French officials have said that a new law requiring vaccination to enter sports stadiums will have no exceptions.
A lot could change between now and the start of the French Open, the next Grand Slam tournament, in late May. But this has raised the possibility that Australia’s latest saga will not be just a passing picture, but an ongoing challenge to the unvaccinated athlete, who is increasingly hailed as a hero by the anti-vaccine movement.
Djokovic has argued that he is exempt from Australia’s strict vaccination rules because he recently recovered from COVID-19.
But once he arrived in the country, Australian authorities said the exemption was invalid. They eventually cited the public interest and canceled his visa, saying his presence could stoke anti-vaccine sentiment and that his expulsion was necessary to keep Australians safe.
While returning home from Australia, a member of the French Parliament added a new twist. Christophe Castaner said the new law that excludes unvaccinated people from sports stadiums, restaurants and other public places would apply to anyone wanting to play at the French Open – the reversal of plans to create a “bubble” around the tournament.
The French Sports Ministry said, on Monday, that once the new law is implemented, there will be no exceptions until further notice.
For now, Djokovic is waiting for a warm welcome, who has overwhelming support in his native Serbia where his closest family lives. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has accused the Australian government of “harassing” the top-ranked tennis star and urged him to return home.
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