Novak Djokovic Pleads With Victorian Government To Let Australian Open Go Ahead

It's safe to Novak Djokovic hasn't done himself any favours in 2020.

Despite going on an impressive unbeaten streak on the court, his antics off it have significantly overshadowed that.

From his Adria Tour which evolved into a coronavirus outbreak to the incident involving a line judge which saw him disqualified from the US Open, tennis' world number one has certainly managed to get under a lot of peoples skin this year.

And his latest act will undoubtedly p*** off a lot of Aussies.

PA

Following reports that international players may not be allowed the country in December, Djokovic took matters into his own hands - forgetting again that we're in the midst of a global pandemic, of course.

Incredibly, the Serbian star has made a desperate plea to the Victorian government asking them not to cancel the prestigious Australian Open tournament.

"I'm planning to play Australian Open for sure," he said.

"I would like to go there and I'm ready to quarantine for two weeks and whatever is necessary for me to be able to play.

"I hope that there is going to be support and understanding from the Victorian and Australian government for the players and for Tennis Australia and that they will allow players to compete in the second week of quarantine.

"Hopefully that's going to help tremendously with the calendar and everything, and you won't be then losing a week.

"You will be able to have at least a tournament or two prior to the Australian Open, which for the majority of the players is important."

Daniel Andrews

We all want sport to return as normal.

But unlike Djokovic, we've all grasped the fact that that isn't entirely possible right now.

And given Melbourne's history with COVID-19, you can't imagine the state's premier Daniel Andrews budging under the abrupt demands of one single tennis player.

Andrews recently cast fresh doubt over the tournament after saying it's "far from a done deal" that the summer of tennis will be played in Melbourne's backyard.

This comes after Tennis Australia announced their plans to introduce a bubble or hub to house the athletes during competition.

And while most states appear to have the virus under control, the news that international players may not be allowed in the country at all is a major blow to those plans.

Topics: government, Tennis, Australian Open, Coronavirus, Novak Djokovic, Australia, Covid-19

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry