World number one, Serbian Novak Djokovic, announced yesterday that he will defend his Australian Open title at Melbourne Park following a medical exemption from the mandatory COVID-19 vaccine.
To this date, the tennis star had refused to publicly reveal his vaccination status and had pulled out the ATP Cup in Sydney, raising doubts about whether he would appear in Melbourne due to concerns over Australia’s quarantine rules.
“I’ve spent fantastic quality time with my loved ones over the break and today I’m heading Down Under with an exemption permission. Let’s go 2022,” Djokovic posted on his Instagram account.
The Australian Open confirmed Djokovic had received a medical exemption in a statement released late on Tuesday night. The news, were not received positively but the majority of the Australian population, even most of his hardcore fans. The government has been accused of discriminating, in favour of profit and publicity.
Vaccination supporters and unvaccinated users alike, took to their own social media to complain about the unfair double standards that apply to the rich and famous, as opposed to the rest of the population.
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Australian Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese raised his concerns over Novak Djokovic being given an exemption to play in the Australian Open in Melbourne, questioning whether or not there was a valid health issue for it to be granted.
“It is a great event, but no one should be above anyone else in our systems,” he said.
“This exemption needs to be explained, it makes absolutely no sense to me. I think there needs to be a proper explanation and I haven’t heard one yet.”
Meanwhile, Tennis Australia’s Chief Medical Officer, Carolyn Broderick, has also spoken at a press conference clarifying that there was no special treatment.
“I understand what a challenging time the last couple of years had been for Melburnians and that some people would find the exemption granted to Djokovic frustrating and upsetting”.
“I want to make absolutely clear that, as has been the case the whole time, no one is or will be receiving special treatment because of who they are or what they have achieved professionally,” she said.
