Australian ministers hold contrasting views on vaccination guidelines for upcoming Australian Open
Tennis News
With the recent rule that players hoping to compete at the 2022 Australian Open need to be fully vaccinated, some government ministers are calling for a change to the guidelines.
The Australian Minister of Immigration, Alex Hawke and Minister of Health, Greg Hunt confirmed earlier this week that all traveling tennis players will need to be double vaccinated against the virus to be granted visas to visit the country. Furthermore, Hunt would go on to state that these rules apply to everyone, regardless of "whether you are world number one."
This almost certainly applies to Novak Djokovic, who has not revealed his vaccination status but has been openly opposed to getting the shot. Therefore, the Serbian is in danger of defending his title, should he refuse to get vaccinated.
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However, backbencher Senator Matt Canavan says those who have caught the virus should be permitted entry to the Australian Open, suiting Djokovic who had Covid-19 in June 2020.
“We should change the rules. Those rules are wrong," said Canavan. "I’m not saying it should be a rule for Novak, it should be a rule for everybody. If you’ve had Covid and have natural immunity, you’re better off.”
Despite Canavan’s comments, Victorian Australian Medical Association President Dr. Roderick McRae revealed exactly why those choosing not to be jabbed should be banned.
“I understand Djokovic had the coronavirus but, believe it or not, the immunity from the vaccination is better than the immunity from catching the disease,” said McRae.
“I think there is an element of standards here. It’s important our leaders make these decisions in our interests and banning unvaccinated travelers demonstrates to the community just how important we take this.”
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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