Tennis 2022

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saivet

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A number of players have been arriving in Melbourne over the past few days, so figured an apt time to create a thread for the new season.

Any predictions for the year?

More hope than believing it, but I'll go with Serena returning to the tour, winning Wimbledon and then announcing her retirement.
 

Bepi

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Alcaraz vs Sinner starting the most boring top-level rivalry of this new decade with a couple of instant classics. :drool:

Osaka hitting and missing Grand Slams as usual, Raducanu not breaking into top 50 consistently and pondering a move into global fashion and acting to sustain her much profitable Cinderella brand. :p
 

Mrs Smoker

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Thought they were all on 21, my bad, have him only winning Wimbledon.

Medvedev repeating US, and Tsitsipas moving one up in France. I sleep and work over Australian, so not that interesting.

But if Novak plays,...and wins AUS, I'd like him to continue winning all in the year then.
 

MattofManchester

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Djokovic to get to 23 slams this season.
Doubt it.
Barring an utter bullshit exemption(he is anti-vax, which should not be grounds for any "medical" examption), he won't play AO.

Nadal should be fit for RG again. Healthy, he's God there.

Wimbledon should be Novak's bar a Federer miracle, which is unlikely.

US Open and AO should both go to either of Zverev or Medvedev(Tsitsipas seems like the new nearly man and seems injured atm)

If Zverev has actually found a way to focus his mind in the right place, he'll win a slam. By far the most complete player on tour aside from Novak.

I love Rafa, but I hope the Big 3 all end on 20 and the idiot parade can have their GOAT argument for the remainder of eternity. Funny enough, I made a joke a couple years ago that they'd all end on 20.
 

Brophs

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Djokovic gets his exemption, as expected.
 

saivet

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Medical exemption :lol:

A bit of a farse from Tennis Australia but not unexpected
 

MattofManchester

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Disgraceful decision and a slap in the face of the rest of the players.
The Australian people too. They have to toil to get back in their own country, yet an anti-vax merchant gets a free pass.

I'd be rightly fuming.
 

saivet

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I know he is anti-vax but could it also be possible that he has a genuine medical exemption... is it easy to fake?
It is possible but given his previous rhetoric it's doubtful he has a genuine medical exemption. I imagine he's had some very clever people working on his behalf to secure an exemption. It was rumoured that he had an exemption rejected last week, not sure on the rules but perhaps they submitted a few of them.
 

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I know he is anti-vax but could it also be possible that he has a genuine medical exemption... is it easy to fake?
As far as I know the "medical conditions" that make you inable to get vaccinated are mostly rubbish. I think there are basically two reasons, a) if your body is royally fecked right now (as in, someone in intensive care or someone that just had chemotherapy), so for sure not a condition any athlete is in, or b) if you're allergic to a certain ingredient in the vaccine - but given that there are multiple vaccination types available its basically impossible to be allergic to all of them.
Maybe @Pogue Mahone can correct me but this seems like royally bullshit. The only other reason I might see is that they somehow showed that he still has reasonable immunity from his infection over a year ago but I'd doubt he still has antibodies from that, it was 15 month ago.
 

Mark_Barca

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I know he is anti-vax but could it also be possible that he has a genuine medical exemption... is it easy to fake?
No it ain't possible to fake as the testing is even harder for athletes than normal citizens. They don't even know the name of the person when accepting or decling the request either.

Also there are already players in Australia who received a Medical Exception but no doubt the haters will claim it's only Djokovic.
 

Pogue Mahone

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As far as I know the "medical conditions" that make you inable to get vaccinated are mostly rubbish. I think there are basically two reasons, a) if your body is royally fecked right now (as in, someone in intensive care or someone that just had chemotherapy), so for sure not a condition any athlete is in, or b) if you're allergic to a certain ingredient in the vaccine - but given that there are multiple vaccination types available its basically impossible to be allergic to all of them.
Maybe @Pogue Mahone can correct me but this seems like royally bullshit. The only other reason I might see is that they somehow showed that he still has reasonable immunity from his infection over a year ago but I'd doubt he still has antibodies from that, it was 15 month ago.
I’d imagine the precise reason for a medical exemption is pretty broad. All you need is a sympathetic doctor willing to vouch for you. The nature of private medicine means a very rich athlete can easily find a medic willing to do whatever he wants. Any old bollox will probably do. “Severe needle phobia” or somesuch.
 

MattofManchester

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Also there are already players in Australia who received a Medical Exception but no doubt the haters will claim it's only Djokovic.
Only one of them has spent his career(long before Covid) proclaiming to be anti-vax, an initial Covid denier(which he was until he ended up getting it), but keep marking him out to be an innocent in everything.

Novak not the only one to blame(the AU government) but in no way does he not deserve any blame.
 

Ladron de redcafe

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Only one of them has spent his career(long before Covid) proclaiming to be anti-vax, an initial Covid denier(which he was until he ended up getting it), but keep marking him out to be an innocent in everything.

Novak not the only one to blame(the AU government) but in no way does he not deserve any blame.
Yeah, I can't believe that had to be pointed out. Novak has been pretty intransigent when it comes to his stance on covid, which brings some suspicion about this exemption.
 

Drawfull

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According to someone on Twitter, the exemption falls under the need to quarantine for 14 days (I don't have a link, but they had some Australian documentation guidelines). He's probably exempt from that, too.
 

saivet

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According to someone on Twitter, the exemption falls under the need to quarantine for 14 days (I don't have a link, but they had some Australian documentation guidelines). He's probably exempt from that, too.
With a medical exemption there isn't a need to quarantine. If it was the case it would mean he'd have to be in quarrintine until the first day of the tournament which doesn't make sense.
 

Rajma

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I don’t get the outrage given that all sporting events around the world don’t require you to be vaccinated in democratic countries (none of the top flight football or basketball leagues, Champions league, NBA, Euroleague, etc.). Either the AO slam needed to be moved to a country that does not impose covid vaccinations for top athletes or it shouldn’t be held at all. I would totally get if the vaccinations would be preventing transmission but with Omicron the existing vaccines reduce it only by a small margin, I just think at this stage of the endemic if there’s one category that can be excused from vaccinations is the elite sports people who are unlikely to stretch the healthcare systems (on which the focus is now).
 

saivet

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I don’t get the outrage given that all sporting events around the world don’t require you to be vaccinated in democratic countries (none of the top flight football or basketball leagues, Champions league, NBA, Euroleague, etc.). Either the AO slam needed to be moved to a country that does not impose covid vaccinations for top athletes or it shouldn’t be held at all. I would totally get if the vaccinations would be preventing transmission but with Omicron the existing vaccines reduce it only by a small margin, I just think at this stage of the endemic if there’s one category that can be excused from vaccinations is the elite sports people who are unlikely to stretch the healthcare systems (on which the focus is now).
You can't really compare tennis with basketball or football. Tennis players are effectively self employed contractors. They're not contracted to play every tournament. It would also be ridiculous to hold the Australian Open somewhere else too.

It's more about the Australian government policy rather than the specific tournament policy.
 

UweBein

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The australian government must be having a laugh. An incredible decision...they have no respect for their citizens.
 

Brophs

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Djokovic and Schwartzman giving the Aussie public some of that sweet, sweet Covid.
 

ExoduS

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Djokovic and Schwartzman giving the Aussie public some of that sweet, sweet Covid.
There are already confirmed cases of COVID by vaccinated tennis players. What's the difference between COVID of unvaccinated player vs vaccinated one?

By the way, I am vaccinated and happy about it, however I am against mandates for now. The reason is that vaccines are very fresh (less than a year old). I have also recently had mild COVID case despite being vaccinated. Off course I know it could have been worse if I was not vaccinated. What I am failing to understand is why Australia is mandating COVID vaccinates when it is clear as day that you can still get COVID and spread it. What is the point? Potentially slow it down further? Well if that is the case, why not just cancel Australian Open? That would clearly slow things down.
 

Berbasbullet

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There are already confirmed cases of COVID by vaccinated tennis players. What's the difference between COVID of unvaccinated player vs vaccinated one?

By the way, I am vaccinated and happy about it, however I am against mandates for now. The reason is that vaccines are very fresh (less than a year old). I have also recently had mild COVID case despite being vaccinated. Off course I know it could have been worse if I was not vaccinated. What I am failing to understand is why Australia is mandating COVID vaccinates when it is clear as day that you can still get COVID and spread it. What is the point? Potentially slow it down further? Well if that is the case, why not just cancel Australian Open? That would clearly slow things down.
If you’re vaccinated you’re less likely to catch it, spread it, and less likely to feel strong effects of covid if you do catch it.
It’s all mitigation, and about reducing the chances of being back in lockdown. You can get it and spread it but the chances are reduced by getting vaccinated.
 
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ExoduS

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If you’re vaccinated you’re less likely to catch it, spread it, and less likely to feel strong effects of covid if you do catch it.
It’s all mitigation, and about reducing the chances of being back in lockdown.
Noted. All of that in my opinion warrants recommendation of the vaccine, but mandating is too far. Especially mandating it from foreign citizens. Exemption is also BS - be it medical or religious - can't be proven.
I think Djokovic is hated because of the message he is trying to send and that message is that vaccines should be a personal choice, not mandated by authorities. If he cheated the exemption, he could have easily cheated vaccination record.
 
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