Alexander Zverev slammed for requesting exemption for Novak Djokovic at Australian Open

Legendary tennis player Novak Djokovic missed out on the chance to reach the ATP Tour Finals on Sunday, after facing a semi-final defeat at the hands of the current world no. 3 ranked Alexander Zverev. However, after defeating world no. 1, Zverev suggested that the nine-time Australian Open champion Djokovic should be given a special exemption from the Australian government, to allow him to play without getting the COVID-19 vaccine jab. As per AP, Zverev was questioned about his views on Djokovic’s vaccination issue after his semi-final win.

Replying to the question, Zverev expressed his thoughts by saying the answer is a tough one since it’s very political. Adding on in his answer, Zverev said, “But we are visiting another country. This is not about tennis. This is about the virus that is going on, right? ... At the end of the day, the country is allowing us to enter. We need to follow the rules and follow the guidelines.” Although he mentioned the fact that vaccination is about the vaccine, rather than being related to tennis, Zverev quickly took a u-turn and requested an exemption for the world no. 1. 

What did Australia Open chief Craig Tiley say about Novak Djokovic?

However, Zverev faced scrutiny for his request regarding Djokovic as the Victorian state government earlier said that only the persons who have received their full vaccination would be allowed into the venue for the tournament. As per AP, speaking on the official launch of the tournament on November 20, Australian Open chief Craig Tiley said, “Everyone on-site, the fans, all the staff, the players, will need to be vaccinated. There’s been a lot of speculation about Novak’s position, he’s said it’s a private matter.”

Speaking further about Djokovic, he added, “We would love to see Novak here, but he knows he needs to be vaccinated in order to play. He’s always said that the Australian Open is the event that puts the wind in his sails.” At the same time, after his loss to Zverev, the 20-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic said that he isn’t sure about the tournament as he revealed, he hasn’t been talking to the officials. He further added that he was just waiting for the official news to be out, and now that it is out, he will have to wait and see.

Image: AP