Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas believes Novak Djokovic “performed by his personal guidelines” when it got here to making ready to enter Australia for the Australian Open.
“For certain he has been taking part in by his personal guidelines and has been doing one thing that not many gamers had the center to go and do, particularly after the ATP introduced sure standards for gamers to enter the nation,” Tsitsipas informed India’s WIO Information, per Fox Sports activities Australia.
On Monday, Djokovic received his enchantment to have his visa reinstated after he was detained throughout a COVID-19 vaccine saga with the Australia Border Pressure when he touched down in Melbourne final week.
A decide ordered Djokovic to be launched from a short lived lodge detention and threw out the cancellation of his visa. Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke, nevertheless, may nonetheless deport Djokovic.
Tsitsipas, ranked fourth on this planet, accused the Djokovic of constructing the “majority” of gamers making ready for the event “appear like they’re all fools or one thing.”
“The stats say 98 p.c of gamers have been vaccinated and did what they needed to do so as to come and carry out and play in Australia,” Tsitsipas mentioned. “One facet of it's, yeah we’ve all adopted the protocols so as to compete in Australia, we’ve been very disciplined in that half.
“The opposite facet, I’d say that it type of looks like not everyone seems to be taking part in by the foundations of how Tennis Australia and the federal government have been placing issues. A really small group selected to observe their very own means and it type of makes the bulk appear like they’re all fools or one thing.”
Tsitsipas mentioned Djokovic’s actions took “plenty of daring to do,” and admitted he doesn’t assume different gamers would put a Grand Slam in danger.
“I selected to go and be one hundred pc prepared for no matter was to return and never having to consider the rest,” mentioned Tsitsipas, who misplaced to Djokovic on the 2021 French Open last. “For me, it labored a method, for Novak, it labored one other means. That doesn’t actually imply that my means is the correct one and his means is the unsuitable one, it’s simply every particular person’s notion about it.”
Tsitsipas was unvaccinated in August forward of the U.S. Open, although mentioned he would “in some unspecified time in the future I should, I’m fairly certain about it.”
Djokovic, the world No. 1, mentioned he obtained a medical exemption to take part within the Australian Open, which has a vaccination requirement in place for gamers workers and followers.
On Tuesday, the Australian Border Pressure mentioned it was investigating whether or not Djokovic submitted a false journey declaration forward of his journey to Australia. The following day, Djokovic mentioned his staff offered further data to the Australian Authorities to make clear the “mistake” of his journey declaration.
Djokovic got here below fireplace after pictures of him surfaced on social media within the days after he examined optimistic for COVID-19 in mid-December. The Serbian star later acknowledged that he did break isolation legal guidelines and referred to as his actions “an error of judgment.”
He added that “human error” by a member of his staff was why he did not state he had traveled outdoors of Serbia within the 14-day interval previous to coming into Australia.
Djokovic had checked “No” on a journey declaration that requested if he had traveled within the 14 days previous to his arrival into Australia, in keeping with courtroom paperwork obtained by CNN.
The Serbian prime minister additionally mentioned Djokovic’s actions seem like “a transparent breach” of COVID-19 guidelines.
The Australian Open draw was briefly delayed on Thursday, however it will definitely was held. Djokovic will face fellow Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic within the first spherical of his title protection, except he withdraws, or is compelled to withdraw by way of deportation.
The event begins Monday.
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