Will Djokovic Get to Play?

Any way you slice it, Novak Djokovic broke the rules

Did he have Covid?

When did he know he had Covid?

And did he follow the isolation rules if he had Covid?

These are not difficult questions.

I had Covid recently. I can tell you when I had a positive lateral flow test, and when that positive result was confirmed by a PCR test. 

I can tell you where I went in between the positive lateral flow and the positive PCR test – one place, the testing site for the PCR test. 

I can tell you where I went after the PCR test – straight home. I can tell you who I saw during that time – my husband and my kids – in my house. All the devices spying on me (my phone, Alexa, etc) will confirm. 

But what about Djokovic? 

Djokovic’s sworn testimony says he tested positive on December 16, 2021. But his family abruptly stopped a press conference this week when pressed to confirm Djokovic’s whereabouts after discovering he had Covid last month. 

How do you explain the photos of him with others (sans masks and no social distancing) that were taken the day after his positive result? This would be a violation of isolation rules (and plain common sense given what we know about how quickly Covid –especially Omicron – can spread).

And there are questions about the validity of the positive PCR result. 

What?!

Oh, and his declaration form also indicated he hadn’t travelled (and would not travel) 14 days prior to arriving in Australia. This is another omission – or lie – busted by photos on social media.

Now Djokovic has released a statement to clarify two points.

In an Instagram post, Djokovic said he had an interview with a journalist after testing positive for Covid because he “didn't want to let the journalist down.”

The journalist was with L'Equipe, a French publication that (according to Wikipedia) had a circulation of just over 200,000 last year.

Why was it so crucial to conduct an interview with a small French publication a month before the Australian tournament?

I am all for honoring your commitments, but surely a more respectful (and safer) approach would have been to conduct the interview over Zoom or telephone. 

And if Djokovic wanted to show respect to the journalist, he should have shared his Covid status in advance, and given the journalist the option to conduct the interview at another time, over Zoom, or make the choice to take the risk and conduct the interview in person. 

I imagine the journalist was glad to get the interview, but how does he feel knowing that Djokovic knowingly put him – and others – at risk? 

Djokovic’s statement also confirms he made a false declaration on his travel form when he stated that he had not travelled in the 14 days before his arrival in Australia.

But that “human error” was his agent’s fault. Djokovic did not provide details of the travel he did before entering Australia, though recent reports suggest he had travelled to both Serbia and Spain before the trip to Australia.

There are also the questions of how Djokovic could get the exemption from Tennis Australia, as their documents state the deadline for applying for a medical exemption was 10 December, and Djokovic claims his positive result came six days later. 

Do the rules apply or not?

The thing that really gets me here (other than the deceit and lies) is that Djokovic wants to be in Australia to play tennis. To make money. To break a record. 

He doesn’t want to get vaccinated, but he shows no compassion or acknowledgement that 90 percent of Australians have gotten vaccinated. The people in Australia have made huge sacrifices and endured tough lockdown rules for the good of the country.  

Melbourne, where the Australian Open is played, had one of the world’s strictest continuous lockdowns. The five million people who live there endured six lockdowns – totalling 262 days – since March 2020.

Where is the acknowledgement of that? 

I’ll tell you – it’s coming from Rafael Nadal.

Djokovic’s detention may have shone a light on Australia’s immigration processes, but let’s not compare him to Jesus. He’s an athlete who has gone to Australia to make money – for himself. 

And that’s fine, but life teaches us that if we don’t follow rules, there are consequences.

Or there should be.

Djokovic is a guest in Australia. He is not a citizen, nor is he entitled to be allowed in because he is a tennis star. Any country can make their rules for entering and it’s up to the rest of us to choose to follow those rules or go elsewhere.

So what happens next?

The story is not over. Australia’s Immigration Minister Alex Hawke can exercise his power and revoke Djokovic’s visa for a second time, using powers granted to him by Australia’s Migration Act.

But I doubt he will.

Djokovic will probably be allowed to stay and play.

But I’ll be rooting for anyone playing against him.

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Beth Collier usually writes positive stories, but gets feisty when she sees a lack of empathy and leadership. She loves pop culture, kindness, and watching live tennis. She also loves helping people improve their communication, creativity, and leadership skills. To find out how she can help you become a more confident, creative, and compelling leader, visit www.beth-collier.com or drop her a line at beth@beth-collier.com 

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