Pending whether or not they can participate in the Australian Open, which begins on Monday, the world number one has already lost large in this imbroglio to the antipodes.
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Whatever the outcome of this Imbroglio Politico-Judicaro-sanitary, no one will come out winner of the “Djokogate”. Neither the Australian Government, accused of instrumentalizing it for political purposes, nor Tennis Australia – the Australian Tennis Federation, shown finger for its casual – and even less Novak Djokovic.
Friday, January 14, three days from the beginning of the Australian Open (January 17th to 30th), the world’s number one saw its visa canceled a second time, “on sanitary and public order bases ” Australian justice, however, agreed to rise to its expulsion from the country until the judicial proceedings are completed.
The draw of the first Grand Slam tournament of the season has booked the Serbian first round against his compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic (78 e world). If the world number 1 is deprived of defending his trophy, his round trip to the antipodes sports him is expensive.
In the event that his visa would finally be withdrawn, he would risk up to three years of entry ban on the territory. Suffice to say a quasi-end of career in a tournament where it is almost at home: nine times winner (a record) and triple title holding. In a message posted on its social networks Monday after a judge has made the first cancellation of his visa, the person posted his determination: “Despite everything that happened, I want to stay and try to Participate in the Australian Open. I remain focused on that. “All accompanied by a photo taken on his favorite playground, where he trained during these last days as if nothing had happened.
In case of absence, it would miss a new opportunity to write history, while a Grand Slam, which would finally allow him to go beyond his two rivals Historical, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, hands him his arms. Last season, the Serbian had gone to a victory – beaten in the final of the US Open by the Russian Daniil Medvedev – to satisfy this obsessive quest that would make him the only master of the planet tennis. A coronation that would have seen him at the same time successful calendar chelem, namely winning the four major tournaments on a calendar year.
Damage for his image
Not to mention that non-participation in the Australian Fortnight would be potentially detrimental to the ranking: following the results in Melbourne of his Daniil Medvedev dolphins (n o 2) and Alexander Zverev (n o 3), it could give way to the throne at the end of the tournament.
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