Just to recap:
- Novak Djokovic has been skeptical of the seriousness of Covid, and its associated restrictions (see him hosting the Adria Tour last year), and that then grew into skepticism of the vaccine and openly saying he would not want a vaccine mandate
- Australia has a vaccine mandate
- Djokovic applies for a medical exemption, which given his stature he can easily get some quack doctor to write him up some made up nonsense qualifying him for an exception
- The Australian Open grants him said exception in a process using impartial panels seemingly judging each exemption blind on its merits
To stop here, there are either one of three things:
(1) It was not a blind judging and Australia just figured they need Djokovic for this tournament
(2) Djokovic has a legitimate medical condition that requires and exception and it all worked as it should
(3) Djokovic faked having a medical condition and the blind judging for that reason didn't catch it
Personally, given Djokovic's loud hesitancy to mandates which already garnered him backlash and the fact he could have avoided a lot of that if he just said what his issue was (e.g. #2 above), it clearly seems that #3 is the most likely reason why Djokovic was given an exemption.
Of course, from reports four other players were granted exceptions - we don't know who they are because.... and we return to the affair
- Djokovic proudly promotes on Instagram that he has been granted the exception so he is all systems go for the Australian Open
- People in Australia (and really globally) throw a giant fit because Australia has put in some of the most draconian lockdowns and vaccine mandates anywhere; specifically Melbourne (I have family there and they couldn't visit even each other - sons visiting parents - because you were not allowed more than 5km from your house for months on end)
- Australia came under serious pressure because of what the backlash was
- Djokovic arrives in Australia, where the world realizes that the governing body that granted him an exception to play in the tournament is not the same one that allows him into the country
- Through a combination of apparently Djokovic applying for the wrong type of visa, and the backlash, and the burden of proof of the reason of the exception being a bit higher ofr border security, he is seemingly not allowed in the country
Now, Djokovic is appealing and maybe this ends with him being allowed in (some reports already have it that the Ambassador to Serbia of Australia has gotten involved), at best Djokovic has garnered himself extreme negative notoriety and at worst has thrown away his best chance to immediately get slam #21.
This is a mess, mostly because of Djokovic's anti-science beliefs. I'm sure there are dozens of men's players taking part in the Australian Open that would rather have not gotten vaccinated but they did. And not only did Djokovic not, but he flaunted it. I truly believe if he doesn't go on Instagram proudly displaying how he gamed the system - teh same system that has made Australians live in home confinement - this doesn't happen.
The backlash was swift; apparently you can't overstate the vitriol and noise in Australia, and the PM is already a bit unpopular with an election coming up later in year. This is an easy political win, and just as it is easy to think a supposedly neat system could have political influence (the one that granted him the exception to get him to play), it is equally easy to think Australia backtracked for the same reason.
This whole thing is a mess, and a sad one. Sad for tennis, sad for Australia, sad for Djokovic, but every actor brought this on themselves here. No one wins, but at least there is fairness. Whether it was the Open conspiring to let their money man play, or Djokovic's wealth getting him access to bogus docs, it felt very wrong when he was allowed to play when players from Russia who got vaccinated with the Sputnik vaccine are not allowed to play as that vaccine isn't recognized in Australia.
This is the world we live in, and this is Djokovic's cost for his beliefs. I don't for a second think his beliefs aren't genuine (they're wrong, but not fake), but this is the life he wants to lead and live. He dug his grave this time, and the political machine of Australia helped bury him for good.
