Can't help wondering what would happened if, for example His majesty Prince Andrew the rapist kame to Australia unther the same conditions...
Nadal didn't follow post Covid quarantine protocole, 7 or 8 other players haven't been vaccinated also. But they are not a Serbian savage. Democracy at its finest.
I think, from the reports we get here in the UK, Serbia are playing this as an anti Serbian thing.
I see it differently. Australia have a strict set of rules to enter their country, and its currently particularly tight around covid vaccinations.
Unfortunately, he did not comply with those rules, and the Border Force there rightly refused entry. The 1st court hearing overturned that on a technicality around procedure, not on whether or not he was compliant with the requirements. I'm glad that they persevered and revoked his visa again. As I would be if it was a British star player, or anyone else.
Celebrity/Wealth should not be a reason that rules that apply to everyone should not apply to them.
Its a shame that he won't be playing, from a sports perspective. But sports need to understand they are not above the laws either, no matter how much money is at stake.
They aren't any winners from this sorry saga. Djokovic has come out looking like a self centred knobjockey who thinks he's above the law. The Aussie government has come out looking incompetent. Aussie Tennis has come out looking like a bunch of money grabbers. And the Serbian leader has come out looking like a racist.
But the correct decision has been made IMHO. No vaccine or valid exemption (eg, medically unable to have a vaccine, but will quarantine), no entry to country that demands that.
I 100% agree with that but.....
We are getting to the stage where the ability for people to earn a living is becoming dependent on whether or not they have been vaccinated. Whatever happened to free choice?
Many now fit and well old people are still in hospital because the care homes are short of staff because individuals decided the jab was not for them so they were dismissed. So much for 'clapping for carers'.
More shortages in the NHS will happen in April if the government decides they need to sack a large number of people who choose not to get vaccinated.
I've said before I really don't care who is vaccinated and who isn't. It's not my business and the unvaccinated are no more of a threat to me than anyone else.
It's politics. It's about control and compliance.
Well, no it is down to keeping our society, and in this case the Australian people, as safe as possible.
We all have to live obeying the “controls” or regulations of the State. Like being licensed to drive a vehicle on our roads, being licensed to fly aircraft, being qualified to teach in a school, college, university, etc, being qualified at many levels of the medical profession, etc, etc.
Would you agree to a non-qualified person to operate on your body, or teach your children at school, or be more than happy to have everyone driving vehicles on the roads to be unqualified to do so?
It is the same with this vaccination thing. Are you going to be happy having a unvaccinated nurse or doctor working on you in hospital? Or a rich sportsman mixing in our society at a professional level, attending tournaments with other vaccinated sports people, giving a finger up at the rest of us who are trying to do the right thing and protect not only ourselves, but everyone around us?
That is what laws and regulations do; protecting us all from possible harm. The government of the day have to enact those laws for the benefit of us all, and only the criminal, ignorant and stupid think they have the right to ignore those restrictions. This tennis player, and that is all he is, is not special, he is just another member of humanity. He is a prick to think he could fool and override the Australian restrictions, just because he is a rich celebrity. Gone should be the days when the so called elite in any field (most certainly including the arrogant, buffoon, Boris) get away with circumventing the laws because they think they can!