With Novak Djokovic deported, Australian Open begins under omicron cloud

MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic was out of the frame, but the Australian Open nevertheless began nether acheronian clouds Monday amid a question of coronavirus cases, an overcast entity and the lack of possibly its biggest star.

As a bladed assemblage trickled done the gates of Melbourne Park, a tourney worker with a megaphone tried to brighten the dreary mood.

“I deliberation we tin accidental goodbye to these clouds, they are yet dissipating,” Larry Larkins optimistically told passersby. “It’s going to beryllium a beauteous time of tennis for all.”

Djokovic, the world’s top-ranked men’s tennis player, had been unceremoniously deported 12 hours earlier aft a trio of national judges upheld the Australian migration minister’s determination to cancel the unvaccinated athlete’s visa. As helium walked done the departure gate, his chap passengers broke into applause, according to 1 idiosyncratic connected the flight. With Djokovic perchance banned from Australia for 3 years, it conscionable mightiness person been the past applause he’ll get Down Under.

Djokovic arrived successful the Serbian capital, Belgrade, Monday, according to Serbian quality agencies. Social media aired images of Djokovic disembarking astatine Belgrade airdrome soon aft midday.

Now, the tourney Djokovic had been favored to triumph for a 10th clip was yet underway without him.

But the shadiness of the ungraded inactive hung implicit the championship, similar the rainfall clouds looming implicit the courts, threatening to cancel play. And adjacent if the Novak sound was gone, different invisible contented remained.

Australia had deported Djokovic, but the omicron variant is present to stay.

After mostly escaping the coronavirus for the archetypal 18 months of the pandemic, Australia is present successful its grip. With an mean of astir 100,000 caller cases a day, the state is successful the midst of 1 of the sharpest spikes successful cases per capita successful the world. The surge successful infections — astir each of them omicron — has led to supermarket shortages, testing issues and canceled vaccination appointments.

For Prime Minister Scott Morrison, the accomplishment of an uber-rich foreigner with a fishy aesculapian exemption to Australia’s strict vaccination introduction requirements proved a utile distraction for a person who has been struggling successful the polls up of an predetermination aboriginal this year.

At Melbourne Park connected Monday, however, Djokovic’s lack and the virus’s omnipresence proved to beryllium a treble whammy driving down attendance. Victoria authorities officials ordered summons income capped astatine 50 percent of capacity.

Uncertainty implicit the Serb’s engagement had reportedly led to refunds outstripping summons sales. And the fans who did amusement up instantly noticed a precise antithetic ambiance than successful tournaments of old. (Apart from past year, erstwhile covid-19 forced fans retired of immoderate matches.)

“It’s precise quiescent for the archetypal day,” said Andrew Vize, 53, arsenic helium drank java with his parent soon earlier the archetypal lucifer of the tournament. He wasn’t expecting to beryllium here. But past his niece had joined the ranks of the astir 700,000 radical successful Australia who presently person the coronavirus.

“I deliberation we each expected it would travel in,” Vize said of the omicron variant present moving rampant Down Under. “But we didn’t deliberation it would beryllium so, vroom! Hard and quick.”

Like the bulk of radical successful this law-abiding country, Vize had small sympathy for the superstar scofflaw but besides believed Australia’s authorities had tried to exploit the situation, lone to marque a messiness of it. Yet, the embarrassment wouldn’t past forever.

“We’re conscionable specified a sports-mad city,” helium said of Melbourne. “We’ll hide astir it halfway done the week and it’ll each beryllium astir the tennis.”

“I consciousness atrocious for him, but rules are rules,” added different Melburnian, Jo Matheson, 57.

Nearby, 2 young men unfurled a Serbian emblem with Djokovic’s look and the connection GOAT, abbreviated for “Greatest of each time,” arsenic their person snapped a photo.

The 3 Serbian-Australians had bought tickets hoping to spot Djokovic. They had thought astir boycotting the Open aft his deportation but alternatively decided to enactment the remaining Serbian players.

“It won’t beryllium the aforesaid this year,” said Garina Carovic, 20, dressed successful the jersey of a Serbian shot team. “He’s similar household to us.”

“The curate admitted that his visa was correct. Now they are trying to accidental he’s an anti-vaxxer,” scoffed Febo Farovic, besides 20. “The authorities is trying to distract radical from the information that determination are nary accelerated tests. They are utilizing him arsenic a scapegoat.”

“Djoko!” shouted a passerby wearing a Djokovic T-shirt, giving Carovic a fist bump.

But the oversea of Serbs that usually be the tourney successful enactment of Djokovic appeared to person mostly stayed distant this year. John Cain Arena was astir empty, with lone 1 Serbian emblem successful show erstwhile Laslo Djere mislaid his match.

Vinodkumar Kaliyanthil had planned to walk much than $500 connected a fewer days’ worthy of tickets for himself and his lad successful the anticipation they could spot the boy’s favourite player. But erstwhile Djokovic was deported, Kaliyanthil scaled backmost their plans.

“I consciousness bad,” said 10-year-old Parthiv, arsenic helium carried an oversized tennis shot signed by 2 different players. Djokovic’s signature would person to wait.

“It’s a large disappointment for tennis fans,” Kaliyanthil said.

Instead, begetter and lad went to spot Djokovic’s rival, Rafael Nadal, cruise to triumph arsenic helium tries to surpass the Serb and triumph his 21st Grand Slam title.

But arsenic the time wore on, the prima began to interruption done the clouds and the squeaks of hard-court tennis began to beryllium drowned retired arsenic the crowds came alive.

The loudest cheers came from Court 3, wherever unseeded Australian Aleksandar Vukic was roaring backmost from 1 acceptable down against favored South African, Lloyd Harris.

“Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi,” the assemblage chanted arsenic Vukic climbed his mode backmost into the match. When the 25-year-old won the decisive tiebreaker, helium dropped his racket and raised his hands to his look successful disbelief.

Djokovic had been deported. Omicron was everywhere.

Robyn Dixon successful Belgrade, Serbia contributed to this report.