The culture of cancellation hit the tennis world hard. The outbreak of 1st place in the ATP ranking, which since the beginning of vaccines has kept “secrecy” about its bite, turned into gas for the politically correct group. They want him away from one of the four biggest tournaments in the world: Australian Open and Novack Djokovic cannot be together.
Without proof of vaccination, on Tuesday (4), Djokovic received special permission to play in the Open from Australia. After much shouting, the Prime Minister of Australia, Scott Morrison, threatened to bar the athlete, which effectively happened this Thursday morning (Melbourne time): he was deported.
Properly vaccinated , an amateur sports player (coffee au lait, come on, but I’ve been taking classes for a while and I follow tournaments) and a journalist who has written (news, facts, not columns) since before the pandemic was declared a pandemic, I ask: I have the right to an opinion ? I hope so. Okay, let’s go.
I’m not a Djoko fan. I think the Serbian is dumb, despite his genius in tennis. He loves that controversy as some love to be “Do Contra” regardless of the office’s liturgy. In the escalation of the pandemic, in June 2020, it promoted parties in Belgrade and sponsored a tournament called Adria Tour, in Serbia and Croatia. Infected, he apologized “for every case of Covid”. “It was wrong and it was too early”, he said.
He has always adopted an anti-vaccination stance. As of May 2021 I was hoping it wouldn’t be mandatory for ATP tournaments. But time passed, the vaccine reached most developed countries and the Australian Open said it would be mandatory, unless there was “a good reason” for it.
The conditions of the Australian Open to Djokovic and other antivax
According to the official statement from the tournament, there was a provision for medical exceptions that should follow the rules Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (ATAGI) to go through analysis. To simplify, it is something like a working group that supports the Ministry of Health and Anvisa in those parts of the world.
This Tuesday (4), the organizers of the Grand Slam (as they call the four biggest tennis tournaments) came to the decision that the Serbian athlete could compete (although not welcomed by many peers and Australians). As reported by the Australian Open: Djokovic applied for a medical exception, which was granted after a rigorous process involving two independent panels of medical experts.
Well, it’s worth knowing that Australia has adopted a policy called the Strategy Covid Zero, which ended in November. In addition, Australia has 77% of the population with full vaccination against Covid- and more than 90% in greater than years (two doses or one in Janssen’s case). And it is good to remember that experts, for example, say that activities such as in-person classes could return with 50% of people vaccinated.
Why, then, in a country successful in fighting Covid-19 it cannot have the “honor of the presence” of a player who has won the Australian Open nine times, has never lost a final of that tournament, including the last edition, in 2021?
They will say that Djoko has to lead by example… why do you demand that he have an opinion equal to the enlightened ones? After all, who doesn’t want him there are the bastions of morality or the owners of the truth?
Réveillômicron and high cases, but the problem is Djoko
Everyone seemed motivated by the Australian Open even though the country is facing a high number of cases, with almost 48 a thousand infections confirmed on Tuesday (4) and 50 one thousand on Monday (3). And no one seemed to care much about the fact that the tournament had full audience capacity even before and after New Year’s Eve, as the Ômicron variant of the coronavirus spreads faster, even though it is suspected to be less lethal in vaccinees.
In this sense, it seems that the big problem is Djoko. It looks like it’s the tennis player who will act like a virus-spreading Godzila, coughing and spitting on everyone, and not because the local rules themselves are looser.
By the way, it’s evident that the Serb received treatment Tournament special, even though Australian Open Director and Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley swears otherwise, and that anti-vaccination tennis players “have not been so lucky.” In an interview with Australia’s Today program, the executive confirmed that 19 athletes asked for an exception, but he did not reveal how many received Djokovic’s treatment. , nor their names.
Is it hypocrisy? Is it favoritism? Course is! But who said that Djokovic needs to be canceled from planet Earth because he does pranks worthy of an Afternoon Session villain?
Australian Open, Djockovic and the protocols
In addition to passing Covid tests-19 (which is obvious), tennis players should (or at least should) wear masks in locker rooms, or indoors. A March ATP Rules Guide 2021 highlights this: “All player areas must be separate from the public. Security and volunteer posts are at hotspots. Only accredited people are allowed – masks must be used at all times.”
Due to stubbornness or being a lover of bullshit, there are those who do not always do this. In the Australian Open final itself, Djockovic left his side, in the suitcase or in the locker room in 2021, when entering the court:
Nas Tokyo Olympics, in 2021, used (or was forced to use) during the press conference:
So, you mean that he and others wearing a mask, in theory, doesn’t diminish a possible transmission? Or is just his presence a threat to the public health and brain of “poor innocents” who would be persuaded to take anti-vaccination activities? This athlete’s cancellation does not make sense, even because “accredited players and their support team must respect the physical distance and precautions of Covid-19 applied to each event”, highlights the ATP guide.
So, answer honestly: Is Djoko cheating like the trans swimmer who broke records in women’s swimming? Or do you play, as they say, within the four lines?
Ah, the poor Australian Open line judges
Another threat that should being ruled out is the contact and “player breath” in the face of Australian Open line judges: Novak and other tennis players probably won’t need to play near them. The Tennis Australia CovidSafe Plan (nice name, no?) provides for the use of the electronic line judge (a kind of tennis VAR), which acknowledges the output of the ball, taking out of the game those people who are half crouched screaming when the ball drops out of the court.
But what about the soccer players? Well, these guys (usually young people / teenagers) will be there with a mask, poor things. Someone needs to throw new balls for tennis players. I hope they don’t scratch their eyes at Djockovic’s Australian Open games, but if they want I’ll do the job. Just send the ticket and accommodation (I’m vaccinated!).
Who knew… playing tennis is safe and good
There’s another reason also for the staff to sigh with relief. According to a ranking prepared by the Texas Medical Association, in 315, playing tennis is the sport activity with the lowest possible risk of contracting Covid-16. In fact, it’s on “level 2” next to eating outdoors, filling up with gas and camping. It only loses to level 1: open the mailbox.
It seems obvious, but tennis there is no contact with other people and your opponent (or even pair) is usually (much more) than 1 meter and a half away. And playing is recommended. Look: it’s good for your health! At least that’s what this study published in the Britsh Journal of Sports Medicine says, with almost 48, 8 thousand people, which shows that people who do not play sports have a significantly higher risk of hospitalization and death in cases of Covid-19.
I would honestly be happy to talk about it and play tennis with anyone. Including the commentators who detonate Novak Djokovic and the Australian Open. They say he will never match Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer no matter how many Grand Slams he wins. Look, I can even agree: I think Nadal and Federer are much more sensible. They seem to be funny guys. But that’s not why the Serbian rival deserves to be canceled by the politically correct gang and abolished from the competition that defends the title.
The fact is that Novak has the right to be dumbfounded, not cancelled. Just as certain people have the right to be hypocrites after enjoying the cluster of New Year’s Eve. Here or in Australia.
2021