AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2021 - Novak Djokovic hints at player boycott if quarantine measures continue

Status
Not open for further replies.
clayqueen

clayqueen

Talk Tennis Guru
Novak Djokovic has claimed a section of tour players do not want to carry on the season should they be required to quarantine ahead of events.

Many players and officials understood the need for the restrictions in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus, but Djokovic - who was one of the most vocal in questioning the quarantine measures - has claimed some players do not want it to continue into spring and summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
Djokovic believes the quarantine measures impacted on players physically as well as mentally and wants a discussion over plans for the future - floating the idea of a bubble where events would be played over a number of weeks at the same venue.

“It has an affect on the physical wellbeing of players, also mental and emotional but physically this is not normal,” Djokovic said at his press conference following his win over Zverev.
“It is what it is; we are hoping it is temporary.
TALKING TO A LOT OF PLAYERS, THE MAJORITY DO NOT WANT TO GO AHEAD WITH THE SEASON IF WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO QUARANTINE FOR MOST OF THE TOURNAMENTS.
Click to expand...
“So this is something that should be discussed, as of now.

www.eurosport.com

Australian Open 2021 - Novak Djokovic hints at player boycott if quarantine measures continue - Eurosport

Novak Djokovic has claimed a section of tour players do not want to carry on the season should they be required to quarantine ahead of events.
www.eurosport.com www.eurosport.com
 
Beckerserve

Beckerserve

Legend
clayqueen said:
Novak Djokovic has claimed a section of tour players do not want to carry on the season should they be required to quarantine ahead of events.

Many players and officials understood the need for the restrictions in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus, but Djokovic - who was one of the most vocal in questioning the quarantine measures - has claimed some players do not want it to continue into spring and summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
Djokovic believes the quarantine measures impacted on players physically as well as mentally and wants a discussion over plans for the future - floating the idea of a bubble where events would be played over a number of weeks at the same venue.

“It has an affect on the physical wellbeing of players, also mental and emotional but physically this is not normal,” Djokovic said at his press conference following his win over Zverev.
“It is what it is; we are hoping it is temporary.

“So this is something that should be discussed, as of now.

www.eurosport.com

Australian Open 2021 - Novak Djokovic hints at player boycott if quarantine measures continue - Eurosport

Novak Djokovic has claimed a section of tour players do not want to carry on the season should they be required to quarantine ahead of events.
www.eurosport.com www.eurosport.com
Click to expand...
Credit to Djokovic on this. He could just be focussed on no 18 and a boycott of the tour would end his dreams of reaching Nadal and Federer as effectively the season would end as doubt countries would cave in to such demands.
He is spot on as well. The injuries the players are suffering are because of the lack of proper practice time and physio time. The mental aspect applies to every human being frankly. Longer restrictions go on the more dangerous things will become but that is a separate issue in a sense.
 
Jack the Hack

Jack the Hack

Hall of Fame
As much as we all like pro tennis, it's not a necessity. He and some of the other top players can boycott all they want and it won't change the world. Plus, for everyone outside of the top 50 or 75, skipping events (or not having them at all) is a serious financial setback. Most of those players ranked outside of the top 50 are not getting big endorsement deals and need to be playing to rake in the prize money. It's better to quarantine and play than to have no tennis at all.

I'm not trying to trash on Djokovic. There are plenty of other people who despise him that can do that more succinctly than me. But, in my opinion, this is the kind of thing that comes across as myopic and self absorbed from him, and certainly not in the best interests of a majority of players or the sport of tennis in general.

Perhaps a more enlightened approach would be to have a series of localized events spread throughout the year. In other words, instead of globe hopping from event to event in different countries, bring all of the tournaments together in one place to be contested over a month. Like how they had the ATP Cup and the other two warm up events onsite at the same place as the Australian, or how they staged the "Cincinnati" tournament before the US Open in New York. They were doing this at the Challenger level last month, holding back-to-back events at the same site to reduce travel and quarantines. If Djokovic wants to be a leader, perhaps he should be advocating for creative solutions like this that allow matches to happen rather than whining about quarantines (which are restrictions imposed by governments that tennis bodies can't control) instead of threatening a boycott that is pointless.
 
Raul_SJ

Raul_SJ

G.O.A.T.
Beckerserve said:
The injuries the players are suffering are because of the lack of proper practice time and physio time.
Click to expand...

If the 15 day quarantine was set up properly, there should be plenty of practice and physio time.
Theoretically, the players under quarantine should have nothing else to do but practice and train.

Maybe there is a shortage of practice courts. In that case, cancel doubles event or limit the practice courts to singles pllayers only.
 
Last edited:
GhostOfNKDM

GhostOfNKDM

Hall of Fame
Many events at the same venue with him all his minions

what else, just give him all the trophies?

so many people are sacrificing so much during this pandemic. Other than lower ranked players these top guys can wait out a few months if they're that concerned about health you know...
 
clayqueen

clayqueen

Talk Tennis Guru
They didn't devise a 15 day quarantine to start with, it was only imposed because there were people on the flights who tested positive. Australia is much stricter than most places so there won't be the same quarantine restrictions when they move to other countries. It must have been awful for the players who were confined to quarters in solitary confinement for 2 weeks some without windows and space to exercise. These were not the conditions that applied in New York, Paris and London so there is no need to threaten a boycott.

I do think that the players' welfare is not at the top of the list for tournament organisers, it's all about fulfilling their contracts, sponsorships and balancing the books. The ATP Cup should have been cancelled to allow the players more transition time between solitary confinement and competition. Lessons will have been learned by other tournaments organisers.
 
clayqueen

clayqueen

Talk Tennis Guru
Djokovic doesn't seem to get the severity of a pandemic. His tunnel vision is not empathetic to the sacrifices people around the world have had to make, many losing their livelihood with nothing to pay the bills and millions losing their loved ones.
 
Last edited:
Jack the Hack

Jack the Hack

Hall of Fame
Here's a thought:

The ATP and WTA Tour headquarters are in Florida. They have lots of courts in that state. And very few people there believe the pandemic is real, so no quarantine restrictions involved.

Many players from both the ATP and WTA live in Florida already.

Therefore, move all tournaments to Florida for the rest of 2021.

Survival of the fittest!

:happydevil:

(Djokovic will fit right in as a Floridian.)
 
Last edited:
Bartelby

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
Djokovic is right to be frustrated but there is no way around some quarantining. And the bubble idea is a good one except that it forgets tennis is a global sport.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PDJ
E36BMWM3

E36BMWM3

Hall of Fame
irishnadalfan1983 said:
True but not sure what can be done? Many countries are operating differently with respects to Covid...I understand his point but not sure much can be done....These are government rules as opposed to tennis rules if you get me...
Click to expand...
My thoughts exactly. Good for him for lobbying on behalf of all players. But the World is a different place and the state of the tour is dependent on the state of the regions hosting tournaments. Perhaps revisiting the yearly calendar and dropping a few tournaments to allow for necessary prep is needed
 
  • Like
Reactions: PDJ
irishnadalfan1983

irishnadalfan1983

Hall of Fame
E36BMWM3 said:
My thoughts exactly. Good for him for lobbying on behalf of all players. But the World is a different place and the state of the tour is dependent on the state of the regions hosting tournaments. Perhaps revisiting the yearly calendar and dropping a few tournaments to allow for necessary prep is needed
Click to expand...

I really just don’t understand him these days...He is quite intelligent so I’m sure he is aware there is simply no real solution at the moment....
 
NoleFam

NoleFam

Bionic Poster
More sensationalism from Eurosport. He never said anything about a boycott. He said there has to be a better way going foward than these long quarantines because it's causing more injuries. Glad to see he is continuing to p*ss off certain posters. I hope he keeps winning so he can p*ss them off even more.
 
Last edited:
Lleytonstation

Lleytonstation

Talk Tennis Guru
NoleFam said:
More sensationalism from Eurosport. He never said anything about a boycott. He said there has to be a better way going foward than these long quarantines because it's causing more injuries. Glad to see he is continuing to p*ss off certain posters. I hope he keeps winning so he can p*ss them off even more.
Click to expand...
Fixed.
 
T

Tennis_Hands

Banned
NoleFam said:
More sensationalism from Eurosport. He never said anything about a boycott. He said there has to be a better way going foward than these long quarantines because it's causing more injuries. Glad to see he is continuing to p*ss of certain posters. I hope he keeps winning so he can p*ss them off even more.
Click to expand...

There is a better way: to have the players and everyone involved vaccinated.

:cool:
 
Lleytonstation

Lleytonstation

Talk Tennis Guru
Aussie Darcy

Aussie Darcy

Bionic Poster
Lleytonstation said:
I thought he was heling the little people? Isnt that what he said at the beginning of this whole thing?
Click to expand...
Is he just stupid? I mean literally what about the players ranked 1000-300 who didn’t fly to Melbourne? Who’s paying to jet all of those people people to this magical island where Covid isn’t an issue? Tennis Australia stood up and paid milllions in jets to fly these selfish players here (while thousands of stranded Australians are stuck overseas due to Scott Morrison’s incompetence) and they have the audacity to criticise? Go back to Serbia and throw another superspreader event Djokovic and Zverev, you go back to ignoring the mother of your unborn child which you’ve been called out about twice now. I am beyond done with the selfishness of these players.
 
Lleytonstation

Lleytonstation

Talk Tennis Guru
Aussie Darcy said:
Is he just stupid? I mean literally what about the players ranked 1000-300 who didn’t fly to Melbourne? Who’s paying to jet all of those people people to this magical island where Covid isn’t an issue? Tennis Australia stood up and paid milllions in jets to fly these selfish players here (while thousands of stranded Australians are stuck overseas due to Scott Morrison’s incompetence) and they have the audacity to criticise? Go back to Serbia and throw another superspreader event Djokovic and Zverev, you go back to ignoring the mother of your unborn child which you’ve been called out about twice now. I am beyond done with the selfishness of these players.
Click to expand...
Yep, and if he wins with this "unacceptable" injury, which he is likely to do, it makes it even more laughable. He should not be leading anything.
 
Lleytonstation

Lleytonstation

Talk Tennis Guru
NoleFam said:
That's not a bad idea to start off but then there are so many strands and some of them are less resistance to the vaccine(s).
Click to expand...
That would just be a PR nightmare though. Who gets one, who does not, and why do tennis players get it over such and such.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PDJ
Aussie Darcy

Aussie Darcy

Bionic Poster
NoleFam said:
More sensationalism from Eurosport. He never said anything about a boycott. He said there has to be a better way going foward than these long quarantines because it's causing more injuries. Glad to see he is continuing to p*ss of certain posters. I hope he keeps winning so he can p*ss them off even more.
Click to expand...
Here’s a better way of going forward. Scrap tennis altogether while people around the world are burying the dead in the hundreds of thousands, cities are going into lockdown, countries are collapsing economically and hospitals are being overrun. Imagine having the audacity to complain about being able to earn millions of dollars for an event that could’ve just been cancelled meaning nobody gets any money.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Aussie Darcy
Serena Williams praises Australia's intense but neccesary quarantine rules
Replies
1
Views
275
Bartelby
Bartelby
Rabin
Injured Djokovic slams quarantine, suggests NBA-style 'bubble' tennis season
2
Replies
61
Views
2K
vex
vex
clayqueen
Tennis Australia tells players that 2021 Australian Open will be February 8-21
2
Replies
92
Views
4K
aditya123
aditya123
Checkmate
Tear O Tear! Karolina Muchova claims to have played AO with a bigger tear than Novak Djokovic
Replies
15
Views
768
Bartelby
Bartelby
clayqueen
Novak Djokovic appears free to defend French Open title as France lifts vaccine passport rules
3 4 5
Replies
210
Views
6K
TheAssassin
TheAssassin
Top