London Jan 5 (BNA): Australian Prime Minister Novak Djokovic has warned that he will be on the “next plane back home” if evidence of his exemption from Covid-19 vaccination rules is deemed insufficient.
World number one Djokovic is preparing to defend his Australian Open title this month, German news agency dpa said, after tournament organizers angered the public by granting him permission to play.
But the Serbian player could face problems at the border, with the country’s government saying he is asking for “acceptable evidence” that he cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison insisting the player will receive no preferential treatment upon arrival.
Djokovic – a nine-time winner – has not spoken publicly about his vaccination status, but said last year that he was “against vaccination”.
It remains unclear what qualifies the 34-year-old to be exempt, and tournament director Craig Tiley said it would be “helpful” for Djokovic to clarify his situation.
However, his hopes of competing were dashed by the intervention of the federal government.
Prime Minister Morrison said at a news conference on Wednesday: “We are waiting for his presentation and what evidence he gives us to support that.
“If this evidence is insufficient, he will not be treated any differently than everyone else and will be on the next plane home.
“There should be no special rules for Novak Djokovic at all. Nothing at all.”
More than 90 per cent of Australia’s population over the age of 16 has been fully vaccinated.
The Australian Open is scheduled to start on January 17. Tournament director Tilley previously revealed 26 non-vaccinated players had applied for exemptions, and Djokovic was among only “a handful” given the green light under guidelines set by federal regulators.
After insisting that the 20-time Grand Slam winner had not benefited from a “special favour”, Tilley later urged the player to be transparent on the issue as public criticism mounted.
The possible explanation is that Djokovic contracted the coronavirus for the second time at some point in the past six months, having previously contracted it during the much-criticized Adria Tour event in Belgrade in 2020.
That would eliminate the need for a vaccination, according to rules published last year by one of the independent medical committees involved in the decision.
The preparation for the first major tournament of the season was dominated by whether Djokovic would participate.
Speculation increased after he withdrew from the Serbian national team, which is competing in the ATP Cup in Sydney, without explanation. On Tuesday, the 34-year-old Serb posted on Instagram that he was “heading down with an exemption”.
The tournament gives Djokovic another chance to break away from rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who have each won 20 Grand Slam titles.
It was a challenge in the 2021 Grand Slam but failed in the US Open final by losing to Daniil Medvedev, the man he beat in the Australian Open final last year.
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