Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jul 15, 2025

The big questions surrounding Djokovic’s Australian Open medical exemption

The big questions surrounding Djokovic’s Australian Open medical exemption

Novak Djokovic has received a medical exemption to play at the season-opening Grand Slam in Melbourne, triggering a backlash

World number one Novak Djokovic has revealed that he will defend his Australian Open title after being granted a medical exemption by the authorities, but the news has arguably raised as many questions as it has answered.

1. Why was Djokovic granted a medical exemption for the Australian Open?


In short, we may never know the answer to this question because the process for granting exemptions is confidential.

Djokovic and tennis officials will surely be questioned on the subject, but as things stand they have the right to remain silent.

The full process for granting exemptions was explained as follows: “The Covid-19 vaccination protocols for the Australian Open, including the process for players seeking medical exemptions, have been finalized by the Victorian Department of Health and Tennis Australia.

“Under an independent process, applications for a medical exemption were first reviewed by an expert panel made up of doctors from the fields of immunology, infectious disease and general practice.

“Applications that met the national guidelines set by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) were then subjected to a second review conducted by a Government-appointed panel of medical experts, the Independent Medical Exemption Review Panel.

“The applications were reviewed and approved only in line with ATAGI guidelines.

“The process included the redaction of personal information to ensure privacy for all applicants.”

2. What are Djokovic’s views on Covid vaccination?


Djokovic has firmly pushed freedom of choice regarding vaccination.

"It doesn't really matter whether it's vaccination or anything else in life. You should have the freedom to choose, to decide what you want to do. In this particular case, what you want to put in your body," Djokovic has said previously.

He told a group of fellow Serbian players last year: "Personally, I am opposed to vaccination, and I wouldn’t want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine in order to be able to travel."

When later defending those comments, Djokovic said: "I am no expert, but I do want to have an option to choose what’s best for my body. I am keeping an open mind, and I’ll continue to research on this topic."

Djokovic is well known for his alternative views on therapy and treatments, and admitted to crying and suffering guilt when undergoing elbow surgery in 2018, saying he felt like he had "failed" himself.

3. What is the reaction to Djokovic’s exemption for Melbourne?


The news has not gone down well with many Down Under, where everyday citizens have been living under some of the world's strictest Covid protocols for almost two years.

"Australians have been denied for two years, but this bloke – who’s taken extraordinary liberties in the face of the coronavirus – gets his exemption. Novak Djokovic is an all-time great, but he ain’t essential," read a tweet from journalist Andy Maher which summed up much of the mood.

Opinion pieces across the internet worldwide have already attempted to paint Djokovic as a villain with a superiority complex. In the eyes of some, the situation has stained the legacy of a man who is among the greatest ever to play the sport.

4. Have other players been granted exemptions for the Australian Open?


Australian Open director Craig Tiley recently explained that some other still-unnamed players have been granted exemptions.

"We know of athletes that have applied for an exemption and in cases, it’s been granted," Tiley said."[Some of them] have indicated that they’re here [in Australia], but that’s up to the athlete, to disclose and [decide] whether they want to share that information."

By contrast, Russia's Natalia Vikhlyantseva revealed last month that she cannot take part in the tournament as the Sputnik V jab is not recognized in Australia despite being approved in over 70 countries.

5. What have other tennis stars said about Djokovic?


Speaking from the ongoing ATP Cup in Sydney, British doubles star Jamie Murray claimed: "I think if it was me that wasn't vaccinated I wouldn't be getting an exemption," suggesting that Djokovic had supposedly received star treatment.

Before Tuesday's news, Australian women's world number one Ashleigh Barty said the topic was a "tricky one" for her "because it’s not my decision".

"We put trust in those people who are making those decisions," she continued.

"They have the correct information. That’s what it is – that’s all it is. There’s nothing else to it."

Additionally, though, Barty confessed she would have no problem playing against unvaccinated players with their medical history the least of her concerns on court.

6. How successful is Djokovic at the Australian Open?


Incredibly. Over a 13-year period from 2008 to 2021, Djokovic has won the Australian Open title nine times, making him the most successful men's star ever at the tournament.

Djokovic currently equals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on 20 Grand Slam titles overall. But with another win in Melbourne, the 34-year-old can surpass his Swiss and Spanish rivals as the most successful tennis player of all time, while also setting up another crack at becoming the first man since Australian Rod Laver to complete a Grand Slam calendar year.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
×