(Image: Private Media/Gorkie)

The 2022 Australian Open, set to be held in January, will be the first truly international event hosted since Australia’s vaccination-based reopening. And the men’s No. 1 and defending champion Novak Djokovic is a vaccine sceptic (to put it kindly).

Djokovic’s vaccine status is technically unknown, but his refusal to reveal it, paired with his anti-vax comments and unconventional approach to health, has led many to assume he is not vaccinated. Perhaps he is vaccinated and is having a laugh. But that’s not the point. The Djokovic situation raises a bigger dilemma about Australia reopening to the world. 

As it stands, there is no definitive answer for how unvaccinated people seeking to enter Australia will be dealt with. The conflicting back and forth statements made by Immigration Minister Alex Hawke, Victorian Premier Dan Andrews and Prime Minister Scott Morrison demonstrate that it is far from settled.

Even if quarantine is on the table for unvaccinated players as Morrison suggested, various players have said they wouldn’t come to Australia again if it was required.

And although Djokovic has been the first high-profile case, he’s unlikely to be the last unvaccinated sports star who, by choice or force, will consider skipping a trip to Australia.   

While Australia once grappled with the ethics of allowing film stars to skip quarantine for the economic benefit their productions brought, our moral dilemma will now turn to whether we let unvaccinated sports stars, performers and personalities in to contribute to resumption of large-scale events. 

In this particular case, it seems obvious that Djokovic should just get on with it and get vaccinated. If he skips the Australian Open because of a vaccine mandate, he’ll pass up the chance to defend his title, lift a record-extending 10th trophy at Melbourne Park and, most importantly, secure the all-time men’s grand slam record at his most successful tournament. Forgoing all that would suggest his anti-vaccination stance runs deep.

And he’s not the only one. 

Sport stars may well be more likely to resist vaccines than your regular citizen. To reach the peak of most sports, an athlete must maintain complete care and control over what enters their body, with many of them, Djokovic included, subjecting themselves to diets so regimented that maintaining it requires the full-time assistance of chefs and nutritionists. Djokovic credits a new approach to his diet and health with transforming him into the formidable player he is now, where his fitness used to be a weakness. 

Although the science confirms that vaccinating against COVID-19 — and certainly the lingering symptoms of long-COVID — would ultimately be the best thing for any individual, it’s not hard to see why sports stars represent some of the highest profile and most vocal anti-vaxxers. For examples see surfing’s Kelly Slater, the NBA’s Kyrie Irving, and various European footballers and Australian rugby players.

This is not to say they deserve special treatment, nor that they should not further educate themselves or be held responsible for the misinformation they spread. Instead, this observation demonstrates that anti-vaxxer sports stars are likely to be a recurring issue in future.

As Australia turns towards becoming an open society predicated on high vaccine coverage, how long will COVID vaccination status prevent notable stars from competing here? And what will the ramifications be?

Even in the world of tennis, there are multiple top players who are either anti-vaxxers or have expressed concerns about the vaccine. Women’s No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka has said she’d get the vaccine only if she had to, but did not “trust” it. Men’s No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas refused to confirm his vaccination status, casting doubt over his participation in the next slam.

In revealing their hesitations, both players spread common misconceptions about the speed at which the vaccines received approval. For this perhaps they deserve to be shunned — but it will come at a cost to the Australian Open. 

The slam is already likely to go ahead without injury-addled Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal’s keenness to play is also in question. An Australian Open without any members of the big three is a harder sell for more casual tennis fans, a fact Tennis Australia is well aware of.

Even beyond Djokovic, there is potential for various members of the top 10 women and men to be missing from the draw. The situation is made more tenuous by forces in the tennis world that think the Asia-Pacific slam should be held elsewhere. If unvaccinated players can’t enter Australia, they may add their voices to those calling for a move from Melbourne Park for the calendar’s first grand slam.

Tennis aside, the decisions made at this first juncture will reverberate around Australia’s post-COVID environment. How seriously we take the pledge of banning the unvaccinated may change the course of major sporting competitions and cultural events in future. That’s not to say Australia shouldn’t take the hard line — merely that we must consider what’s at stake. 

Should sports stars and celebrities be given an easy unvaccinated ride into Australia? Let us know your thoughts by writing to letters@crikey.com.au. Please include your full name if you would like to be considered for publication in Crikey’s Your Say column. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.