Novak Djokovic: Renata Voráčová should also leave Australia

Renata Voráčová
Czech tennis player also expelled: What distinguishes her case from the Djokovics

by Thomas Krause
January 10th, 2022, 11:32 am

The case of Novak Djokovic now occupies the Australian courts. The question of whether the Serbian tennis champion is allowed to enter the Australian Open is now a matter for the lawyers. Monday morning a court in Melbourne upheld Djokovic’s objection to his refusal to enter Australia. However, the government had already announced before the negotiations that it would consider further steps to continue denying Djokovic the visa if the entry refusal was lifted. This was confirmed by the government attorney Christopher Tran at the end of the trial. The outcome of this dispute therefore remains uncertain.

In contrast, there is clarity in the case of Renata Voráčová. The Czech tennis player is a doubles specialist and is not even listed in the singles world rankings. In the double ranking, the 38-year-old is in 81st place. Perhaps because she is less prominent, her case does not make such waves. At the same time it is a little more absurd. Because, as the broadcaster ABC reported last Friday, Voráčová is said to have entered Australia last month and even participated in one of the preparatory tournaments in Melbourne.

Corona rule should only apply to Australians

Voráčová is said to have been infected with the corona virus in the past six months. A memo to players released by Australian media said a recent coronavirus infection could make a full vaccination unnecessary. However, according to the Australian government, this only applies to Australian citizens. The Minister of Health also pointed this out to the association in November.

According to the media, Voráčová was also brought to the hotel where Djokovic is already staying. The authorities are also holding migrants threatened with deportation in the controversial facility. Voráčová was therefore informed on Thursday by Australian border officials that her visa was invalid and that she would soon have to leave the country. Because she could not train properly, Voráčová agreed to leave the country. On Saturday, according to the media, she left the country on a flight to Dubai.

Renata Vocarova describes the hotel as a “prison”

She felt a bit like in a prison, the 38-year-old told the Prague newspaper “MF Dnes”. She was not allowed to leave her room, guards were in the hallway and under her window. “Do they think I jump and run,” she wondered.

According to Djokovic’s lawyers, all requests to move him to another facility have failed. According to Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, the Serbian government has now made sure that he “gets gluten-free food, exercise equipment and a laptop”.

Novak Djokovic advises on the next steps

After the successful objection to the entry ban for Djokovic, according to his brother Djordje Djokovic, he is currently consulting with his lawyers about how to proceed. Djordje Djokovic told the Serbian TV broadcaster TV Prva that he was in his lawyers’ office. “He’s currently going through all the options,” said the brother of the world’s number one. “It was a big defeat for the Australian government and they are having a hard time with it.” Serbian reports that Djokovic had been taken back into custody by the police in Melbourne after leaving the deportation hotel were not confirmed.

But unlike in the Voráčová case, a relatively silent end to the dispute between Australia and Djokovic has long been ruled out.

with agency material