In that context, Wilander claimed that the decision to prevent Djokovic from playing the Australian Open could have a big impact on the history of men’s tennis.
Novak Djokovic is the three-time defending champion in Melbourne, and was widely considered the heavy favorite to lift the trophy this year too. The 34-year-old is currently tied with long-time rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer at 20 Majors, which is the all-time record in men’s tennis.
But Wilander believes it is now a possibiity that the ‘Big 3’ will all end their careers at 20 Slams each.
Novak Djokovic arrived in Melbourne last week despite being unvaccinated, as he had been granted a medical exemption. But the Serb was detained by the authorities at the airport, and his visa was cancelled for failing to sufficiently prove why he got the exemption.
Djokovic promptly lodged an appeal and a federal circuit court ruled in his favor last Monday, reinstating his visa. But the World No. 1’s visa was cancelled for a second time by the country’s Immigration Minister Alex Hawke, on the grounds that his presence could fuel anti-vaxxer sentiment in Australia.
Hawke’s decision was later upheld by a Federal Court, but Wilander stated in his interview that he was “shocked” by the final verdict. The Swede also claimed he was exhausted by the whole saga, before expressing sympathy for the rest of the players in the field.
Novak Djokovic’s “career is on the line” as long as he is unvaccinated: Mats Wilander
Novak Djokovic will now be dropping 2,000 ranking points after the Australian Open, putting his position as the men’s World No. 1 in danger. If either Daniil Medvedev or Alexander Zverev win in Melbourne, they will usurp the top spot from the Serb.
Mats Wilander believes that a new World No. 1 is a possibility since Novak Djokovic may not be allowed to play too many events being unvaccinated.
Wilander also believes Djokovic’s “career is on the line” given his stance on the COVID-19 vaccine.
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