The deportation of Novak Djokovic from Australia over his coronavirus vaccine status could be the harbinger of worse things to come for the Serbian tennis superstar. The fallout from the 34-year-old’s very public confrontation with the Australian government not only raises questions about his bid for a record 21 Grand Slam title – it could affect him in many other ways.
AFP Sport chooses three possible consequences:
Court fees
Novak Djokovic has always made much of his love of tennis history and is well aware of his place in it, although last year he said he “found it difficult to understand the magnitude of (my) achievements…while I “am still an active player.”
He made some more history at the Australian Open by becoming the tennis world’s first number one to be deported and the consequences of his absence could cost him a lot of money on the court.
His absence allowed Rafael Nadal to secure what the Serb wanted to achieve in Australia: an unprecedented 21st Grand Slam singles title.
If 35-year-old Nadal falls short, Djokovic could lose another way – his record two-year reign as world number one could be ended if Daniil Medvedev or Alexander Zverev win the Australian title for the first time.
Medvedev — who denied a tearful Djokovic a Grand Slam sweep in 2021 by beating him in the US Open final — came close to hitting that goal last year.
Djokovic has made no secret of the fact that his friend Medvedev is his most likely successor.
But when he expressed that opinion after beating the Russian in the Paris Masters last November, he probably had very different circumstances in mind.
“I’m sure he’ll get it eventually, and if he does, it’s fully deserved,” Djokovic said at the time.
Financial consequences
Djokovic has earned an estimated $150 million during his stellar career.
The $30 million he made last year from sponsorship deals — according to Forbes magazine — may not be as sacred as sponsors take stock of the situation and assess the potential damage to their star’s image and to them.
Djokovic’s Lacoste contract was his most lucrative, estimated at around $9 million by various US media outlets.
The clothing company with the crocodile emblem — nicknamed by its founder, French tennis legend Rene Lacoste — indicated it could bare its teeth in conversations with Djokovic.
“We will contact Novak Djokovic as soon as possible to discuss the events in Australia,” Lacoste said in a statement.
However, Djokovic can take heart from the experience of fellow sports superstar and anti-vaxxer Aaron Rogers.
The Green Bay Packers quarterback lost only a minor sponsor last year, who had a vague idea of both his anti-vaccination stance and his claim that his critics were “a wakeful crowd.”
Slamming doors?
If Nadal wins the Australian Open, Djokovic will need to win two more Grand Slam titles to be the sole holder of the record number of singles titles. The Spaniard has won the Australian crown only once and lost the four other finals he has ridden in Melbourne.
With doubts about whether Roger Federer — the third member of the triumvirate equal to 20 titles — can add to his winnings when he returns from another knee surgery, Djokovic looked set to set another record.
However, the reason for his deportation from Australia could change the complexion of his future career, as Covid won’t go away anytime soon and neither will the vaccination regulations made by ever-cautious governments.
Wimbledon would be the only tournament he can confidently think of playing after the French Open closed on him on Monday.
France’s sport ministry said a new vaccine pass, approved by parliament on Sunday, “applies until further notice to everyone, to volunteers and elite athletes, including those coming from abroad”.
The US Open also appears to be a no-go area for the Serb under the strict vaccination rules currently in place in New York.
promoted
“It’s a goal, yes, to prove that I can break all records,” Djokovic said last November. “I’m very motivated to keep going.”
Whether the damaging Australian saga has sapped that inner drive will be hard to gauge, but right now that Grand Slam record seems further away than ever.
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