Australia is battling a lack of supplies and a testing overload, but not for Djokovic.

Australia is battling a lack of supplies and a testing overload, but not for Djokovic. | EFE

Humphrey CarterPalma05/01/2022 10:31
TW
0

Tennis Australia, the country’s sporting governing body, is going to have to do some pretty fast and convincing talking after giving defending champion Novak Djokovic a medical exemption from getting vaccinated against Covid in order to play in the Australian Open.

Players like Rafa Nadal have not only complied with all the vaccination rules, like them or not, but also had to overcome catching Covid just a month before the new season started in Australia.

The big debate over Djokovic has been going on for months. He has refused to come clean about his vaccine status and has managed to secure an exemption to play.

Is this a case of money being more important than the regulations, bums on seats and extra global TV viewers instead of playing by the rules?

I think it is extremely unfair for the rest of the field who have had to make great sacrifices to travel to “legally” compete in the warm up tournaments in Australia while parts of the country are struggling to combat the spread of the virus - again.

I am still slightly stunned by the large number of professional footballers who have yet to be fully vaccinated while many grounds will not let the fans in without a Covid passport.

These sports personalities on obscene wages are supposed to be role models. Well some are letting the side down whatever their position on vaccines. Come clean then.