There was much controversy around allowing Djokovic to enter Australia and defend his title in the Australian Open. But after admitting since that he broke lockdown rules and the follow up of being detained in Australia, could Djokovic be facing a season without tennis?

 

Djokovic has competed in Wimbledon 16 times, first in 2005 where he was knocked out in the 3rd round. He finally won the competition on the 7th time of asking, 2011, after reaching the semi-final twice. Wimbledon has been won by the Serbian a total of 6 times, most recently last year where he beat Mateo Berrettini in a tense final.

 

Hoping to start the season by defending his Australian Open title after pulling out of the ATP Cup, Djokovic arrived in the country on 5th January but was immediately detained by Australian border forces who claimed, ‘he didn’t meet the entry requirements of an unvaccinated traveller’. It was later revealed that the Serb had tested positive for COVID-19 on 16th December and so could not have the vaccine. After a court hearing, his visa was granted by a judge on January 10th. However, despite the positive result of his PCR test, Djokovic admitted that he did not isolate and continued to be present at interviews and photoshoots. Due to breaking the isolation rules and much public complaint, his visa was then cancelled, and he was deported from Australia on 16th January.

 

Prior to 2022, the 20-time Grand Slam winner’s career hasn’t been without controversies. Most famously, he was disqualified from the 2020 US Open after hitting a line judge with a ball after losing a point. Whilst this was not intentional, it was a clear example of Djokovic losing control. As well as this, the tennis star demanded that all athletes should be given private homes and tennis courts at the 2021 Australian Open. Australian professional Nick Kyrgios called him ‘a tool’ in a tweet afterwards.

 

He’s already going to have to get the vaccine if he wants to compete in the French Open in May, otherwise he could potentially be looking at a season without any tournaments. As for Wimbledon, it is yet to be announced whether vaccinations are a must for the summer tournament although Wimbledon have provided no assurance that the Serbian will even be allowed to play. Former coach of Djokovic told Italian reporters, 'Djokovic may only play at Roland Garros because you have to be vaccinated to enter the United Kingdom and also outside Europe.'

 

Should Djokovic be banned from Wimbledon? Past has shown that breaking lockdown rules hasn’t ended well. Dominic Cummings is an example of a politician breaching the law and then being forced to resign. Furthermore, people like footballer Kyle Walker have been forced to apologise online after parties and violation of the lockdown measures. So Djokovic, after attending events during a self-isolation period, could be facing the same issues as others. And it might not be just Wimbledon who ban him – its left to decide whether he will actually compete in any singles’ events this year.