Djokovic's predictable sports viacrucis after his Australian battle
With his Australian battle Novak Djokovic may have become a hero in his country, a "Spartacus", or a "Jesus Christ", as his father says, but it is also likely that he did nothing more than shoot himself in the foot .
Not only because he puts his world leadership at risk, in the event that Medvedev or Zverev, number two and three respectively, win the Australian Open. Also because it will be very difficult to keep him if he does not play there in the next three years, time in which his entry into Australia will be vetoed according to the decision adopted this Sunday by a federal court.
But his problems do not end there. His participation in the Masters 1000 in March in Indian Wells, California and Miami is also in the air. The United States requires foreign visitors to be fully vaccinated to travel to the country. The same would happen with the US Open, but that is already in September and until then the covid rules can change a lot.
Before, in May, Roland Garros begins. It is the only appointment almost guaranteed for the Serbian. French sports minister Roxana Maracineanu confirmed this week that Djokovic will be able to play on clay. The reason is "the health bubble of these major sporting events" that does allow unvaccinated athletes to participate. But, again, the rules can change, and more so after Australia's decision. The minister herself stated that this week Possible sports exemptions for unvaccinated athletes will be reviewed.
The next date on the calendar is Wimbledon, which takes place at the end of June. There has been no official statement, other than these words from Prime Minister Boris Johnson after being asked about the tournament: "All I will say is that I believe in vaccination and I think it is a wonderful thing." The Government's position is important, because it will draft a specific rule for Wimbledon. Currently, unvaccinated people can enter the United Kingdom but must complete 10 days of quarantine.
Don't let my tie dye fool you - I actually know how to interpret these arterial blood gas results.
— kim Sun Aug 11 19:07:43 +0000 2013
The reality is that this is an almost exclusive battle for Djokovic. According to the ATP, 97 percent of the top 100 are immunized. In fact, his teammates have given clear signs these days that they do not understand the Serb's decision very well, from Nadal to Murray, passing through his former coach Boris Becker. Perhaps the person who best summed it up was the Spanish-Venezuelan Garbiñe Muguruza: "I am vaccinated and I know the requirements that must be met, and I am happy to do so. I don't see why it should be done any other way. I think that sooner or later we will all have to vaccinate us, it's a fight that makes no sense," said the Spanish at a press conference in Sydney. Greater pragmatism impossible.
sponsors
But beyond sports, the Serbian's unpopularity due to his anti-vaccine stance may have consequences for his sponsors, who are very sensitive to the brand image they project. According to Forbes, the tennis player received about 30 million dollars from them in 2021. They range from the Japanese sports Asics, through the French Peugeot, to the clothing firm Lacoste.
It is true that the decision is not easy: the brands that eventually break with Djokovic also risk losing their reputation among many consumers who are not in favor of vaccination. "It's a complicated situation," admitted Josh Schwartz, head of athlete marketing at the US agency PIVOT, in statements collected by Infobae.
In any case, the background is always political. The definitive expulsion of Djokovic has been "for reasons of health and good order, on the basis that it was in the public interest to do so", according to the words used by the Australian Government to cancel the Serb's visa.
Australia, a very scrupulous country in the fight against covid (and thanks to that it has managed to stay safe for a good part of the pandemic) could not allow any exception, no matter how number one Djokovic was. Will the United States, France, the United Kingdom or Spain do the same?