Tennis star Novak Djokovic has been criticised for not wearing a mask before the Australian Open final. His opponent, Daniel Medvedje, walked onto the field wearing a mask, as did women's champion Naomi Osaka in yesterday's final. During the Australian Open, the European and American media have been criticizing the Serbs (Serbia, although a European country, does not belong to the Western camp), first playing up the so-called "habitual fraud", then accusing him of breaking the racket and destroying the venue, and this time making a big fuss about not wearing a mask.
A netizen from Europe and the United States wrote on Twitter: "Djokovic needs to be punished for not wearing a mask, he is in public and should be a role model." This tweet was instantly liked by Western netizens. Another wrote: "Medvedev wore a mask, while Djokovic did not ... This should tell you all you need to know. Support those who follow the rules. ”
When the Serbian left the stadium to win his ninth Australian Open title in straight sets, some fans at rod-laver stadium booed his arrival. In fact, players are not forced to wear masks when entering the stadium, but they must wear masks on the way to Melbourne Park. However, many runners, such as Medvedev and Naomi Osaka, chose to wear as many masks as possible.
That's not a good image for Djokovic, as he made a series of demands at the start of the match, urging Australian Open organisers to provide better fitness and training materials for athletes who were quarantined in hotel rooms before the match. He also wants to reduce the number of days of quarantine – despite Australia's strict COVID-19 laws – and wants to move players to private homes with tennis courts and gym facilities.
Djokovic was forced to issue a 636-word statement explaining his demands. He wrote: "My good intentions toward other competitors in Melbourne were misunderstood as selfish, difficult and ungrateful. This is a far cry from the truth. I'm sorry it got to this point because I know a lot of people are grateful. ”
Djokovic's handling of the outbreak has been widely criticized. Last April, he was labeled an anti-vaccine person for admitting that he was opposed to coronavirus vaccination. Two months later, he was further criticized for organizing the "Adria Tour" tennis charity exhibition match in Croatia, which did not follow social distancing procedures and was cancelled after Gregor Dimitrov tested positive for coronavirus. If he wishes to compete in the future, he could be forced to get vaccinated, with people like Andy Murray calling for mandatory vaccinations.