No visas for unvaccinated players? Djoko’s presence called into question

The world number 1 absent from the first grand slam of the year? This is the question that arises after the announcement on Tuesday from an Australian politician that tennis players not vaccinated against Covid-19 may have difficulty obtaining a visa to participate in the Open d ‘. Australia. “I don’t think an unvaccinated tennis player will have a visa to come to this country,” said Dan Andrews, Prime Minister of the State of Victoria, whose capital Melbourne is hosting the first major meeting in January. of the season.

“The virus is not interested in your ranking or the number of grand slam tournaments you have won,” added the politician. And if these players got a visa, they would probably have to stay in quarantine for two weeks, unlike the other players ”. Triple defending champion in Melbourne and looking for a historic 21st grand slam title, Serbian Novak Djokovic has publicly taken a stand against the Covid-19 vaccine, refusing to say if he himself had been vaccinated.

Same price for the F1 public in April

In the face of the global health crisis, Australia closed its borders 19 months ago, introducing some of the world’s toughest restrictions on Covid-19 and stranding tens of thousands of Australians abroad. As part of a national post-pandemic roadmap, the borders were to gradually reopen in November, but only Australians and permanent residents will be allowed in initially, with a mandatory home quarantine.

Also referring to the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, scheduled for April 10, 2022, Dan Andrews also felt that his spectators should be vaccinated. “The Grand Prix takes place in April, I don’t think there will be many spectators then who have not received their two doses of vaccine,” he said.