A senior member of the Victorian government has dismissed an allegation by the father of world No.1 Novak Djokovic that Australian Open organisers are blackmailing him.
Srdjan Djokovic said on Sunday morning that it is ‘likely’ his son wouldn’t be playing in the upcoming Grand Slam tournament due to their participation policy. All players taking part in the 2022 tournament are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in line with a health mandate that has been implemented in Victoria, the region where the event is held. Under current guidelines, players will also be tested before and upon arrival in the country.
‘Under these blackmails and conditions, he probably won’t play,’ Srdjan told TV Prava. ‘I wouldn’t do that, and he’s my son, so you figure out for yourself if he is going to play or not.’
Djokovic, who has won the Australian Open a record nine times, has continuously refused to publicly disclose if he is vaccinated against COVID-19 or not. Arguing that he would like to keep his medical records private. However, it has fuelled speculation that he isn’t vaccinated and therefore is unable to play in Australia. When asked about his plans for the start of 2022 at the ATP Finals in Turin, he replied ‘we’ll see’ without elaborating any further.
Martin Pakula is the sports minister for Victoria. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, he denied that authorities are ‘blackmailing’ the 20-time Grand Slam champion in any way. Arguing it is the responsibility of all players to follow the same rules of those living in the state.
“If you’re a visiting international tennis player or a visiting sportsman of any kind, it’s about your responsibility to the community that you are being welcomed into,” ABC Australia quoted Pakula as saying.
“And that’s why we are asking those international tennis stars to follow the same requirements as Victorians are.
“It’s not about blackmail, it’s about making sure the Victorian community is protected.
“I want to make it clear that I really hope that Novak Djokovic gets vaccinated and plays in the Australian Open, but if he chooses not to that’s a matter for him.”
Should Djokovic not play in Australia he will miss out on the chance of breaking the all-time record for most Grand Slam titles won by a male player. He is currently tied with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at 20 each. Furthermore, it is possible that should he not play Daniil Medvedev might claim the No.1 ranking but the Russian would need to practically win every match he plays. Although this depends on what and how many tournaments he plays in.
The Australian Open is set to get underway on January 17th. Djokovic has never missed the event since his debut back in 2005.
