While most all the other voices of professional tennis seemingly wait and hide their opinions and thoughts about the Novak Djokovic vs Australia stand-off currently in progress, the two-time Australian Open champion Johan Kriek has shared his thoughts…
A lot to unpack here…..so bear with me. As a two time Australian Open champion, born in South Africa, living in America, I know a thing or two about politics in sport, from personal experience. For years in the early 80’s there were decisions made to boycott players who came to South Africa who played the SAB Open and I had received death threats both in America and overseas just for the fact I was born in a country that was a pariah at that time…..people were thrown in jail for openly saying they would kill me. Insanity….but nothing as bad as what is happening now in so many countries. Few things in the world can unite people more than sport and music. Nothing else comes close. So I detest the fact that politics is in tennis too and I fought to help keep the SA Open going and it did. Such is the reality. Politics is now in everything, including our health. Unfortunately with the change in government in SA in 1993, soon the SAB Open went bankrupt and the date was sold. Never to get it back again…
So in a sense “politics” won but in a warped way….who suffered?, the SA citizens who love tennis and the kids that benefited so much from not only the tennis on SA TV to inspire the next generations but the loss of revenue to continue programs around the country, was a huge hit. The SA Open was the fifth oldest tournament after the four Grand Slams. What a terrible shame that tournament disappeared. But what I find utterly despicable, is how governments everywhere are “mandating” their citizens to get vaccinated. I find it mind boggling how so many citizens who seemed to love freedom and personal choice in open societies have essentially capitulated to their own “dictators!” The way the Australian government has dealt with their own citizens, the draconian measures of trying to suppress this virus that by all measure is impossible to stop. It is very clear for anyone with a few brain cells, this virus is dangerous but we also now see how the “experts” at the CDC, the NIH and the WHO and big pharma and big media have become less and less believable due to suppression of voices globally, scare mongering of their own citizens, flawed science by these so called experts and the true frontline doctors are now suddenly “outcasts and quacks” but eighteen months ago they were heroes as they worked with patients every day that were infected. Now they are being labeled “dangerous people” for not wanting to get vaccinated.
It should always be a personal choice and nobody and I mean nobody should ever force anyone to get vaccinated. Nobody has the right to ask you about your health status. Nobody. I admire Djokovic not only as a player with the GOAT record, and all the good things he has done for his own country of Serbia but also what he has done to make tennis that much better during the period of superstars Federer and Nadal. Even if he never ever wins another Australian Open, he will surpass the other two in majors won. He is still that good. But in my book, some issues are so important to fight for and are bigger than sport, than tennis and some things are just bigger than the individual. He should have said to the Australian Open, “Thanks but no thanks. You won’t see me play there until you change your policies and I will come back. Other than that, I will voice my opinion that nobody has the right to know what I do with my health and what I put into my body. I will neither deny nor confirm wether I was vaccinated as it is a private matter.”
Instead, Novak flew there thinking a “third party panel” has cleared him. That obviously blew up. But what a disgrace for the tournament to create a “two policy” system. One for the guy who is No. 1 in the world and another set of rules for the “also rans.” Like when Tiger Woods entered a golf tournament and he pulls out, ticket sales drop 30-40%. Likewise if he suddenly entered a golf tourney. Same thing here….Can you spell MONEY? If I were the “also rans”, I would bag the tournament and fly home.
Unfortunately, Djokovic lost an opportunity to show some serious “moral backbone”. …he would have had such massive support on a global scale. That opportunity is now gone…a pity. But…this is just me. I will probably be thrown off all social media platforms…..ce la vie. I don’t care. Going fishing…..
From Johan Kriek, former two-time Australian Open Champion.
AO · Australian Open · Johan Kriek · Novak Djokovic
Todd R · January 6, 2022 at 4:18 pm
The villainization of unvaxxed people is getting very scary (see recent Justin Trudeau, Macron comments)….Djok next in line for abuse….Would love it if he became outspoken against the tyranny that marching brazenly accross the globe. Uninformed Rafa – ‘just get vaxxed’.
Scoop Malinowski · January 6, 2022 at 4:21 pm
Todd they are making an example of Djokovic to scare us all. Good vs evil armageddon has arrived sadly. We are at a major pivotal moment in history. Our freedom or enslavement to the tyranny is at stake.
Sam · January 7, 2022 at 12:10 am
Johan Kriek wrote:
Unfortunately, Djokovic lost an opportunity to show some serious “moral backbone”. …he would have had such massive support on a global scale. That opportunity is now gone…a pity. But…this is just me. I will probably be thrown off all social media platforms…..ce la vie. I don’t care.
Exactly! Kriek and I (and many others) think alike on this issue. 👍
By the way, Scoop, where did you get Kriek’s comments from?
Sam · January 7, 2022 at 12:14 am
Scoop wrote:
Our freedom or enslavement to the tyranny is at stake.
Right. What we’re witnessing globally is “vaccine apartheid.” 🤮 Well, actually it’s “gene therapy,” not a vaccine, but I think you get my drift.
Steve · January 7, 2022 at 8:28 am
Clearly the state government and Feds in Aussieland don’t talk much. If Nadal wins this without Djokovic being present I will have to put an asterisk by it. It would be an outrageous way to secure the highest slam count.
Scoop Malinowski · January 7, 2022 at 8:33 am
Sam, long post on Facebook. Kriek is outspoken on facebook and often gets temporarily banned. He’s fearless.
Scoop Malinowski · January 7, 2022 at 8:48 am
Steve, This AO should be renamed the Australian Closed Championships. Huge asterisk tournament.
Sam · January 10, 2022 at 3:07 am
Sam, long post on Facebook. Kriek is outspoken on facebook and often gets temporarily banned. He’s fearless.
Thanks, Scoop. Frankly, I’m very surprised when I hear about intelligent people still slumming it on Facebook. 😲
There are literally dozens of alternative social-media sites (such as Gab) that, to my knowledge, do NOT censor the truth, so it makes little sense for those with principles not to move to these places instead. Kriek would surely feel more at home on such sites.
In fact, there’s a new Twitter-like site called GETTR that describes itself like this:
“A brand new social media platform founded on the principles of free speech, independent thought and rejecting political censorship and ‘cancel culture.'”