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Posted January 06, 2022

Sean Ring

By Sean Ring

Why Novak Djokovic Ought to Retire

  • The 20x Grand Slam Champion was denied entry to the Peoples Republic of Australia.

  • Djokovic had Covid and recovered but is unvaccinated.

  • Tennis Australia and the State Government of Victoria had granted an exemption, but Australian border control wont let him enter the country.

Hello! Its a glorious Thursday morning here in Cebu.

As I sit here with my morning cup of homebrew, I remain shocked but not surprised at the States heavy hand.

Of course, Im not calling for Djokovic to retire because hes a danger to the public or any such nonsense like that.

Id like him to retire to make an important point about choice, preference, and liberty.

It would take the most important kind of courage: the courage to be disliked.

Lincolns Inn Fields, London: 2006

Im the tennis equivalent of what snooty chess players call a woodpusher.

Ive never had a lesson, which I hope to correct when I get to Italy.

But Im bad. I was bad then, back in 06, and I certainly worse now.

Nevertheless, when my old London drinking buddies asked me if I fancied a match, I couldnt resist.

And while I was an embarrassment on the court, playing tennis was a fantastic exercise for my beer-soddened body.

Its incredible how many people in England play tennis around Wimbledon and suddenly get quite good for two weeks or so.

Wimbledon is the most prestigious tennis tournament globally, and the worlds greatest players descend to South London. (Wimbledon is a district and town within Greater London, from which The Championships takes its name.)

The US Open, French Open, and Australian Open are the other major or Grand Slam tournaments.

So Wimbledon, and perhaps the greatest sports commercial ever made, are my only real tennis credentials.

So I tread lightly on this topic from the sports side.

Novak Djokovic has won 20 Grand Slam titles.

I havent.

The Background

Sometimes, you just need a bit of chaos.

Im sure the more diplomatic person would disagree, but frankly, stability is why the world is in the shape its in.

No one - save Elon Musk, maybe - is publicly trying to rock the boat.

Lets start with this: Novak Djokovic, one of the all-time great tennis players and perhaps one of the healthiest men on the planet, refuses to get the jab.

Hes already had Covid and recovered from it.

Were at a scientific crossroads, so to speak, as scientists cant tell if vaccines provide greater protection against Covid than prior infection.

But since Australia has been doing its best 1930s Germany act, none of that matters.

I wont rehash Australias draconian policies in response to a disease thats killed 2,290 Aussies - yes, under twenty-five hundred deaths - in two years.

But if you really want to laugh your ass off, check out Australias own statistics page (bolds mine):

For the 898 people who died from COVID-19 in 2020:

      • COVID-19 was the 38th leading cause of death.

      • Their median age at death was 86 years.

      • Just over half were female (460 female deaths, 438 male deaths).

      • People who died from the virus under the age of 70 were more likely to be male.

      • Dementia was the most common pre-existing condition (275 deaths).

      • Chronic cardiac conditions, hypertension, and diabetes were also commonly reported comorbidities.

      • The majority of deaths occurred in people with a usual residence of Victoria (800 deaths).

As of September 2020, Victorias population was 6.681 million.

Ill do the math for you: 0.012% of Victorias population succumbed to Covid.

That means the remaining 98 people who died of Covid in Australia (population outside Victoria: 25.19 million minus 6.681 million equals 18.509 million) accounted for 0.001% of the Australian population.

Since the median Covid death age was 86 years, and Australias life expectancy is 82.8 years, Id say this was pretty good!

My goodness, I thought this government was dumb before, but now, Im absolutely gobsmacked!

Ill leave the rest to the historians wholl surely skewer Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his asinine policies in future books.

But heres the latest.

Though Djokovic refuses the needle, the Australian Government granted him a visa to enter the country and play in the tournament.

Djokovic, rightly, doesnt want to give away any of his medical history. But the visa for which he applied requires a reason for his lack of vaccination.

In a nutshell, Tennis Australia and the Victorian Government - Victoria is the state where Melbourne is located - granted the exemption because Djokovic is a world-beating tennis player. They, of course, want him to defend his title.

FYI: Victoria is Australias equivalent of California, if you catch my drift. Sydney is in New South Wales, one state over.

Heres the rub: the state government and Tennis Australia didnt clear this with Australias border force.

Now you can rightly say, Sean, its their country. They can do what they want, and if you want to enter, youll obey the rules.

Yes! I couldnt agree with you more.

And thats why I want Djokovic to retire.

Why I Want Djokovic to Retire

First, I think Djokovic is entirely correct. And I think the tennis world would lose a great champion if he decided to hang up his racket.

But he can always unretire. Heck, boxers do it all the time.

Can you imagine what would happen if Novak Djokovic gave a press conference and said the following?

Tennis friends and fans, its with great sadness that I announce my retirement. But I simply cant stand by when governments invade my medical privacy. Yes, they can do what they want on their own soil. But I dont have to be on their soil. Ever.

Quite frankly, Ive made mountains of money, live in Monaco, and Im set for life. So getting a needle stuck in my arm to make some bureaucrats feel better just isnt for me.

I invite you to express your displeasure at your government. If they left me the hell alone, Id still be playing. And since France, England, and the United States require vaccination for entry for non-citizens, now is the time for me to exit stage left. Thank you and goodbye.

Oh, the masses would erupt if their bread and circuses (or strawberries and cream) were taken from them!

And Id cheer him on the whole way.

Because we need a breakthrough. Like on a football kickoff team, we need a wedge breaker to get through to the governments of this insane world.

Scott Morrison shut down his country for a disease thats barely killed anyone there. The Australian citizenry doesnt seem to mind that.

Perhaps theyd mind this.

Oh, to dream

Until tomorrow.

All the best,

Sean

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