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Dialuna 17 Januari 2022

Analysis: Novak Djokovic’s legal loss is loss for Open, fans

29-year-old from Italy who is media members and every- hearings, two cancellations
on a four-match losing streak one else on-site, too. More of a superstar’s visa, one ap-
in Grand Slam main-draw than 95% of all Top 100 men peal that was successful and,
play and failed to get through and women in their tours’ ultimately, another that was
qualifying in Melbourne, will respective rankings are vac- denied.
be on the line in the bracket cinated.
where No. 1 Djokovic stood But as polarizing a figure as
until Sunday’s Federal Court Djokovic sought, and ini- Djokovic might be, rightly or
decision. tially was granted, a medi- wrongly, nothing is as polar-
cal exemption, saying that izing among some folks these
Less than 18 hours before he tested positive for CO- days as the coronavirus pan-
the start of the tournament, VID-19 in December. In the demic itself and the subject
a three-judge panel unani- end, he was forced to leave of those who won’t get in-
mously upheld a government Australia because he was seen oculated. It is something that
minister’s right to cancel as someone who could stir the entire population of the
(AP) - Novak Djokovic’s a big stage, especially lately, he Djokovic’s visa, ending his up anti-vaccine sentiments in world has a stake in.
loss in a court of law is could have pursued his 10th last-ditch effort to be able to a country, like many others,
also a loss for the Austra- trophy at Melbourne Park, play and bringing a close to going through a surge of the What happens next with
lian Open, a loss for ten- which would break his own what the ATP Tour rightly omicron variant. Djokovic will be fascinating
nis fans and a loss for the record, and his 21st overall called “a deeply regrettable to watch, because there are so
sport as a whole. from all major champion- series of events.” That’s a big reason this drew many unknowns, at least in
ships, which would break so much attention. part because he hasn’t taken
Setting aside, for a moment, the men’s mark he shares This was how Nadal put it questions or spoken to the
everything that led to his with Rafael Nadal (who is in on Saturday, when everyone Yes, it involved one of the media at all since his flight
deportation from Australia Australia) and Roger Federer still was awaiting a resolu- most successful and famous landed in Melbourne on Jan.
on Sunday — a fundamen- (who is not, following knee tion: “Honestly, I’m a little athletes around, someone 5.
tally hard-to-fathom reason surgery). bit tired of the situation.” who came within one vic-
for any athlete to be forced tory of the first calendar-year After Sunday’s verdict, he
to sit out any event — who Instead, when play begins in At the heart of the 11-day Grand Slam in men’s tennis put out a statement saying he
wouldn’t want to see the Australia on Monday (Sun- saga was Djokovic’s decision since 1969. And yes, it in- was “extremely disappoint-
player who dominated men’s day in the U.S.), 2009 winner not to get vaccinated against volved an intriguing “What ed” and that he “will now be
Grand Slam tennis in 2021 Nadal, as it turns out, will COVID-19, which was a re- will come next?” miniseries taking some time to rest and
competing for what would be be the only past Australian quirement for anyone at the that included an eight-hour recuperate, before making
a historic title to begin 2022? Open champ in the 128-play- Australian Open: players, airport interrogation, a forced any further comments be-
er men’s field. And 150th- their coaches and other en- four-day stay in an immigra- yond this.”
Unaccustomed to defeats on ranked Salvatore Caruso, a tourage members, spectators, tion hotel, a handful of court