Die Zeit - Big Point

A Big Point

Even the best athletes in the world like Novak Đoković are treated like you and me. In times when many spectators turn away, that's a good sign.

A commentary by Christian Spiller

Even the president had called. All of Serbia was with him, Aleksandar Vučić had assured his most prominent citizen. The "harassment" must come to an end, he said, and Serbia would fight within the framework of international law "for Novak, the truth and justice. Vučić did not have it much smaller that day. Serbian diplomats, of course, were on the case. Because of someone who is just particularly good at hitting a felt-covered ball around.

Nevertheless, Novak Đoković will now spend his time isolated in a hotel. He is not allowed in, he does not want to go out. In the next few days, lawyers will look over his exemption and Australian legal texts to decide whether Đoković will be allowed to play in the Australian Open or not. As of now, he is not allowed and thus the matter is already a success. Especially for the sport, which sounds a bit strange when the best tennis player in the world can't play his sport. But this is about something bigger.

The decision of the Australian authorities shows attitude: even celebrities have to abide by rules, even the best athletes in the world. It is Đoković's right not to be vaccinated. But it is also Australia's right (and even its duty) not to let Đoković into the country then. Just as Australia does with all other unvaccinated people.

Above all, the decision is a signal that has been long sought after in top-level sport of late. A big point for the sport. After all, it's not without reason that the best female athletes live under the suspicion that different rules apply to them, that they're in a completely different world anyway. Much of this criticism is unimaginative and populist. Let them eat golden steaks or have star hairdressers flown in - people who don't know what to do with their money in their early 20s don't always appear to be completely sure of their taste. But especially during the pandemic, this gap between the lifestyles of sports stars and their fans can also become a problem.

very old, but the Japanese were also completely excluded from the event in their country. And only very few are lucky enough to spend their quarantine in the Maldives, as Manuel Neuer is currently doing. Most footfall fans can only admire the islands in the Indian Ocean on photo wallpaper, even when they are healthy.

Professional sport lives from its spectators, from their love or at least affection. But that is crumbling right now. Again and again, you can read about this word that makes sports managers shudder: Alienation. Falling ratings, spurned tickets - more than a few people involved in sports fear that something may have been lost in recent years. A general unease that existed even before Corona is now becoming concrete.

Now, however, someone has said stop. The unvaccinated Đoković is certainly a manageable threat to the health of the Australian people. But in this case, it's a matter of principle. No extra sausages. And a healthy high-performance athlete suddenly turning the corner with an exemption is an extended middle finger to all Australians who, as in Melbourne, had endured 262 days in lockdown.

Australia's decision has shown that professional sports can't get away with everything. It could bring players and supporters closer together again. So it could be good for the sport as a whole. Even if Novak Đoković will certainly see things a bit differently in his little room in Melbourne right now - the fact that governments and institutions involved in sports are acting responsibly is more beneficial than ever in a year when the Winter Olympics in China and a World Cup in Qatar are on the horizon.