Djokovic Double-Faulted in His Australian Open Bet

(Bloomberg Opinion) -- The world’s No. 1 men’s tennis player now has the dubious honor of joining actor Johnny Depp in receiving a harsh lesson on Australian quarantine and border policy.

Novak Djokovic tried to enter the country without meeting a clearly stated requirement for receiving a full course of Covid-19 vaccines. And he subsequently failed to provide sufficient evidence of a medical reason why he shouldn’t get them. So now, the 34-year-old Serb is set to be ejected just weeks before he’s due to defend his Australian Open title in Melbourne. The tennis player was moved to a quarantine hotel, pending an appeal that may be heard as early as Jan. 10.

Depp and his then-partner, Amber Heard, had their own run-in six years ago when they decided to smuggle two Yorkshire terriers into the country while the actor was shooting the latest installment of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise. The couple were aware of Australia’s strict rules on bringing animals, but tried to skirt them anyway. They were later shamed into filming an apology for their transgression.

The island continent is renowned for its unique flora and fauna that form an ecosystem drawing tourists from around the world. Its Border Force administers what many outsiders might see as Draconian quarantine policies, including bans on bringing in fruit, meat, wood and plants. Australians are proud of these tough rules, however, seeing them as proof of the nation’s geographic exceptionalism. 

The Djokovic saga further plays into parochialism but also triggers what’s almost a national creed of fairness.

For more than a year, thousands of Australians were stranded overseas as the borders to their homeland were closed. Families remained divided and many were prevented from visiting ill or aging relatives. When returning citizens were finally allowed back late last year, they first had to meet the mandates — get vaccinated, show negative Covid tests before and after landing, and in some circumstances undergo a period of isolation. 

They did it, largely without complaint, because most understand this is what’s needed to keep Australia safe. 

Then came news that a big-name, anti-vax tennis star had received an exemption. (Djokovic has said he’s not opposed to all vaccines, but is against the Covid-19 vaccine and mandates requiring them.) 

Travel vaccination requirements are hardly new. International coordination of certificates proving inoculation against yellow fever — and, in the past, smallpox, plague and cholera — predates the post-World War II formation of the World Health Organization. As a regular at tournaments in yellow-fever-endemic Brazil, including the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Djokovic has probably had to navigate these rules before.

As with the controversy in the U.S. around Covid vaccine mandates in schools, the dispute around requiring shots against major epidemic diseases to cross international borders isn't so much a case of pro-vaxxers requiring new restrictions as it is one of anti-vaxxers trying to roll back protections that have long been in place. That this should be happening in the middle of a pandemic that has killed at least 5.5 million people is even more extraordinary, and especially so during the global surge in cases from the omicron variant.

Yet it’s not as simple as Djokovic flexing his anti-vaccine muscle in the belief that he could bully his way into the country. Australia’s two-tier political system, where state and federal governments often diverge on policy, made his case particularly messy. His role in one of the world’s most high-profile sporting events ensured that it would receive global attention.

Before departing for Australia, Djokovic was among dozens who applied to Tennis Australia — the organization that runs the Open — for a medical exemption from the vaccination requirement. Once TA signed off, the state government of Victoria — of which Melbourne is the capital — then considered the applications with its own panel. Djokovic passed both reviews, but the precise reason hasn’t been disclosed.

Among factors that may lead to an exception from the mandate is an acute major medical condition, serious adverse reaction to a previous dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, or proof of a PCR-confirmed Covid-19 infection within the past six months, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported. The tennis player is known to have contracted Covid-19 in May 2020, almost 20 months ago.

But Tennis Australia has no jurisdiction; it’s a corporation owned by Australia’s states and territories. And Victoria can merely decide who is allowed to enter from other Australian regions — such internal border closures were a hallmark of the darkest days of lockdown. Only the federal government can decide who is allowed into the country. Djokovic should have been aware of this fact. Tennis Australia would have absolutely known, and would have been negligent if it hadn’t reminded the defending champion. Exceptions to the rule were decided without knowing the name of the applicant, and only a handful were given, the organization has said.

However, the Australian Border Force, and Prime Minister Scott Morrison, weren’t in a mood to trifle. The conservative leader has been criticized for his tough stance on Covid controls, but he may gain political capital by strictly applying the rules against a famous name. It’s unlikely that Djokovic was targeted specifically, but the fact that he’s probably the world’s highest-profile tennis player serves as the perfect opportunity to remind everyone that Australia is serious about its quarantine policies. Visitors challenge these rules at their peril.

More From This Writer and Others at Bloomberg Opinion:

• Survival Tips for Hong Kong’s 21-Day Covid Quarantine: Shuli Ren
• It’s Far Too Early for Covid Vaccine Booster Mandates: Faye Flam
• How Covid Arbitrage Became the Trade of the Year: Tim Culpan

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Tim Culpan is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering technology. He previously covered technology for Bloomberg News.

David Fickling is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering commodities, as well as industrial and consumer companies. He has been a reporter for Bloomberg News, Dow Jones, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times and the Guardian.

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