Over the past 12 months, significant policy and political challenges have impacted professional tennis.
The most significant of these were participation constraints linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by considerations over the eligibility or otherwise of Russian and Belarusian competitors following the invasion of Ukraine.
As the Australian Open begins today, where are we currently with these dilemmas?
The COVID conundrum
Public health measures taken during the pandemic have inevitably had an impact on organization of tennis tournamentswith organizers required to follow local protocols.
At many events, this meant players had to be vaccinated or have a medical exemption. For the most part, this wasn’t a problem. For example, in January 2022, the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) reported 97 of the top 100 male players have been vaccinated.
This suggests that most tennis professionals – like workers in many other professions – accepted the public health objectives underlying vaccination. There is no doubt that some tennis players have been hesitant to get vaccinated, including Novak Djokovic, who said he preferred miss the Grand Slam than getting vaccinated against COVID.
Just a year ago, Djokovic was trying to enter the Australian Open based on a “medical exemption“, which raised eyebrows among skeptics.
Ultimately, the Serb had to leave Australia after his the visa was canceleda decision that caused furore in his home country.
Djokovic says he can’t forget the experience of his expulsion, but hopes he will respectfully received by fans during this year’s tournament.
Like society as a whole, tennis authorities have adjusted their COVID protocols over time, particularly following the “opening” of society following widespread vaccination.
At the 2022 Australian Open, players were required to be vaccinated or exempt for medical reasons, but in 2023 there will be no such requirement. In fact, this year there is no COVID testing, and players can even participate if they contract the virus during the tournament.
The contrast over 12 months is striking, with some players struggling to reconcile what was required at the time until today.
Novak Djokovic was deported in January last year after the Federal Court upheld the government’s decision to cancel his visa to play in the Australian Open. (Reuters: Loren Elliott)
The Ukrainian imbroglio
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, supported by its ally Belarus, shows no signs of resolution.
In response to the incursion, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and its allies provided Ukraine with military supplies and logistical support, while implementing economic sanctions against Russia.
Tennis, like many other sports, has also been immersed in the question of sanctions; more precisely, how to approach the participation or not of Russian and Belarusian players.
For team competitions, the response was decisive and pro-Western. The International Tennis Federation has decided that the Russian and Belarusian teams will be forbidden of the Davis Cup and the Billie Jean King Cup. It was bad news for Russian tennis players, who expected to defend their victories in both events as early as 2021.
However, in the case of individual tournaments, where athletes compete officially for themselves (and unofficially on behalf of their country), the position of tennis authorities varied.
During the first grand slam following the invasion, Wimbledon the organizers, with the support of the British government, refused to accept Russian and Belarusian players.
However, this position was repudiated by both the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), who fined the All England Club.
In an effort to counter what they described as “discrimination” against sanctioned players, these international tennis bodies determined that ranking points will not be awarded at Wimbledon, which disappointed many players.
At the French Open, however, organizers deemed players from Russia and Belarus eligible, provided, however, that they compete as “neutral” athletes, lacking insignia, symbols or status indicating a connection to their home country.
It would also require, at the very least, neutrality regarding their public position on the invasion of Ukraine. Like the tournament director stressed that if any actor showed support for Putin, sanctions would follow.
Wimbledon organizers, with the support of the British government, have refused to accept Russian and Belarusian players in 2022. (REUTERS: Toby Melville)
Subsequently, the US Open also allowed Russian and Belarusian participants, again with the expectation of neutrality. THE tournament organizers expressed “concern about holding individual athletes accountable for the actions and decisions of their governments.”
However, ordinary Russians are not treated as “neutrals” by NATO and its allies: they have been collectively penalized by Western sanctions, thus being made responsible for Putin’s war.
In 2023, the Australian Open – like the US and French Opens – announced that “neutral” tennis players from Russia and Belarus would be welcome. This angered Ukraine’s ambassador in Canberra, who described Tennis Australia’s position as “unscrupulous“.
However, Daniil Medvedev, Russia’s leading men’s player, expressed relief at being able to play, affirming his personal commitment to “peace“.
On the other hand, Belarusian tennis star Aryna Sabalenka complained that playing under a neutral flag at the Australian Open made her feel like “out of nowhere“.
Russian Daniil Medvedev has expressed his relief at being able to participate in the Australian Open. (AP: Andy Brownbill)
Bravo and jeers
So how could these political issues impact this year’s Australian Open?
Novak Djokovic is back in town, chasing an incredible 10th singles title. After a year of absence, he remains a polarizing figure. How will tennis fans react?
And what about Russian and Belarusian players? No players from either country have competed at Wimbledon in 2022, and neither were finalists at last year’s French Open and US Open. There is an opportunity in Melbourne for this trend to change.
With these underlying tensions in mind, the boss of the Australian Open Craig Tiley asked security to remain tightly leashed in case of booing, saying, “If (fans) disrupt anyone else’s fun, boom, they’re out. We don’t want them there. They can stay away or we’ll kick them out.”
Daryl Adair is an Associate Professor of Sport Management at the University of Technology Sydney. This piece first appeared on The conversation.
