Novak Djokovic could be banned from the French Open later this year because he has not been vaccinated against COVID-19, a prospect that sparked bets for the tennis star just hours after he was deported from Australia and his Australian prevented from defending the Open title.
1-ranked player touched down in his native Serbia on Monday, closing at least the first chapter in a dizzying drama that plunges into a world of elite sports, the politics of the Australian pandemic and the polarized debate over the coronavirus. There is echo. shot.
Djokovic was expected to welcome a hero from his countrymen, many of whom think he was treated unfairly in Australia. But a handful of fans waving the Serbian flag greeted him at the airport in the capital, Belgrade.
At the same time, clouds clouded over what would happen next for the player: French officials said a new law requiring vaccinations to enter sporting venues would make no exceptions. A lot can change between now and the start of the French Open, which is the next Grand Slam, at the end of May. But it raised the possibility that the recent saga in Australia will be not only a blip but an ongoing challenge for the uneducated athlete, who is increasingly being cast as a hero by the anti-vaccination movement.
Djokovic had argued that he was exempted from strict Australian vaccination rules because he had recently recovered from COVID-19. But once he arrived in the country, Australian officials said the exemption was not valid. He eventually ceded the public interest and revoked his visa, saying that his presence could spark anti-vaccination sentiment and that it was necessary to kick him out to keep Australians safe.
As Djokovic returned home from Australia, French parliament member Christophe Castaner said the new law would exclude unvaccinated people from sporting venues, restaurants and other public places and apply to anyone who wants to play at the French Open. Will - Reversal of plans Create a "bubble" around the tournament.
France's sports ministry said on Monday that once the new law is in place, there will be no exceptions until further notice.