When Novak Djokovic boarded a flight from Melbourne, Australia to Dubai on [January 16], he put an end to the strangest trip of his nearly two decades as a professional tennis player.
Djokovic had flown halfway across the world and not played a single match, all because he believed he had secured an exemption to Australian rules requiring travelers to be vaccinated. Instead, he spent an entire night explaining himself to border officials who canceled his visa, moved into government detention for almost a week, and twice had lawyers plead his case to remain in Australia.
Once a three-judge panel found against him, Djokovic had no choice but to fly home. Yet while this bizarre saga is over, the impact for Djokovic is only beginning.
Rules around international travel and attending major events are showing no sign of loosening in the near future. And Djokovic, who has previously said that he was against vaccine mandates for tournaments, can’t afford to skip many majors in his pursuit of history.
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Following Djokovic’s expulsion from Australia, France’s sports minister, Roxana Maracineanu, confirmed another obstacle for him once the calendar turns to Roland-Garros. All athletes hoping to travel to France will need to be vaccinated unless the pandemic situation changes substantially, she said.
