I’ve never been a fan of tennis. In fact, the only time I can ever recall being glued to the TV watching it was in high school. Wimbledon coincided with mid-year exams; need I say more? This was a Grand Slam; how could I miss any of it?
Granted, it’s been a long time since I was in school, and it’s still some time before large amounts of strawberries and cream are to be consumed again at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships, but it is time for the 1st Tennis Grand Slam of the year, The Australian Open, and you know what: I’m intrigued. Not by what’s happening on court, but by what happened off it between the world’s number one ranked men’s tennis player, Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, and the Australian government.
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What transpired in Melbourne ahead of this year’s event at the Rod Laver Arena brought about a wry smile and an acknowledging nod of my head, the kind of ‘you did good’ look that you’d expect to see from coach Ted Lasso in Apple TV+’s Emmy Award-winning series of the same name. By the time Djokovic was forced to leave Australia on 17 January after judges upheld Immigration Minister Alex Hawke’s decision to cancel his visa on public health grounds I am convinced the entire planet, barring some die-hard fans and Djokovic’s family and friends, were like: what did you expect, why should you be the exception and not the rule? The simple answer is, in my view, because Novak believes he’s special; and as a sportsman he is, but as a human he’s just like you and me, despite how we treat him, and many other sporting, acting, singing, or business talents like him.
At school the top sports guys invariably got an extension to project submission dates for whatever reason, and similarly at work the boss is allowed to be late for meetings, and we think nothing of it, because they’re ‘special’; but it’s not right, is it? So, I tip my hat to Alex Hawke and the Australian government for taking a stand, setting the rules, and sticking to them. What they did was make a statement, one we all should laud, one that says no matter whether you’re number one, or just a number, you’ll be treated no differently.
So, whilst it’s not June, I’ll be watching tennis on Sunday. Spectating with the same keen interest I had on the eve of my Grade 9 Latin exam; not because I’m now a tennis fan, or because I need an excuse not to study, but because on screen will be two normal guys, being special.
