Novak Djokovic COVID-19 saga full timeline

Here’s everything you need to know on how to navigate the Djokovic visa mess in Australia. At issue now is the validity of the Positive COVID-19 test, the basis of his ‘exemption’ to play the Australian Open in the first place.

Novak Djokovic landed at the Melbourne airport in his quest to achieve a 21st grand slam, which would undoubtedly establish the world No. 1 men’s player as the GOAT by surpassing the three-way tie he finds himself in with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. However, the bigger fight for him is whether he’ll still play the Aussie grand slam at all.

The 34-year-old Serbian athlete had already pulled out of the Serbian team for the ATP Cup tournament a few weeks before. At the time, no Positive test results had been announced, which according to his visa documentation, Djokovic says he tested for on December 16. When he pulled out of the ATP Cup, no Positive test was mentioned, and everyone assumed the reason was for the vaccine requirement to participate.

His AO participation seemed in question just last week. However, the reigning AO champ set aside all doubts at the time by announcing that he had secured the required exemption—which we now know was a Positive COVID test taken on December 16. The tournament head, Craig Tiley, CEO of Tennis Australia, seemed hellbent on having the reigning champion’s participation.

Novak spurs an international incident

With what Novak Djokovic’s team thought was a secure exemption, the famously vaccine-averse (Novaxx) player announced that he was boarding a plane to go for more records at the 2022 Australian Open.

However, that announcement set off a maelstrom of criticism including elitism, selfishness, favoritism, and safety, culminating in the international fiasco the 20-time grand slam champion found himself in when he landed at Melbourne Airport. His visa was canceled by officials, Djoker was placed in immigration ‘detention,’ forcing the Serb to appeal his case, which he won based on the medical documents he provided to justify his exemption.

https://twitter.com/DjokerNole/status/1480529173789696001

However, the saga is far from over. Immigration Minister Alex Hawke is mulling using optional powers to revoke Djokovic’s visa anyway, under the jurisdiction of Australia’s Migration Act. The Serb player has been practicing for the tournament in the meantime, which begins Jan. 17.

And now the validity of the COVID tests are also in question since the immigration hearing. Djokovic’s team has claimed that the test results were done on December 16—certified by one doctor only—however, the UNIX timestamp says December 26, after the tennis player received two other Negative tests. The ambiguity of the time stamp has some questioning the authenticity of the Positive test, which some have surmised served as a convenient result within the six month exemption window allowed by Tennis Australia.

If we are to take the test results at face value, this also indicates questionable behavior on the part of Djokovic for appearing at two events—maskless and with children—the day after the diagnosis notification.

Another fallout from the visa hearing was whether or not the Serbian player lied on his visa form about his travels to Spain, which he denied, but again, social media evidence states otherwise. In order to participate, players had to refrain from traveling from other countries 14 days prior to arriving in Australia.

Not helping matters, of course, are the deplorable comments made by his parents, who never cease to amaze with their arrogant behavior. Srdjan Djokovic even called on Queen Elizabeth at one point to intervene on his son’s behalf. Really, he is the absolute worst. When the Djokovic family was asked about the December 16 Positive test, his brother, Djordje, just smirked and shut down the press conference.

Another player, Czech Renata Voráčová, who claimed the same exemption, had her visa canceled and went home. However this plays out, it is a very bad look for the world No. 1 player. If he continues his bid at the Australian Open, it seems he will be the most unpopular player on court.