After a government official warned unvaccinated athletes are unlikely to receive visas to enter the country, Novak Djokovic’s Australian Open title defense and pursuit for the Grand Slam record are in jeopardy.
Djokovic, who shares 20 Grand Slam championships with Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal, refused to reveal his vaccination status again this week, saying he was unclear if he would defend his Australian Open title while officials worked out COVID-19 limitations for the event.
Unvaccinated athletes would not be permitted into the nation, much alone Victoria, which holds the Australian Open in Melbourne, according to Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews.
“I don’t think an unvaccinated tennis player is going to get a visa to come into this country and if they did get a visa they’d probably have to quarantine for a couple of weeks,” Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews told a media briefing.
“I don’t think that the person you indicated (Djokovic) or any other tennis player, let’s not personalise it … or golfer or Formula One driver will even get a visa to get here.
“If I’m wrong I’m sure the federal government will let you know.
“(The virus) doesn’t care what your tennis ranking is, or how many Grand Slams you’ve won. It’s completely irrelevant. You need to be vaccinated to keep yourself safe and to keep others safe.”