Some say politics at play in Djokovic detention in Australia

On the tennis court, Novak Djokovic’s timing is perfect. But when the No. 1 player boarded a plane for Australia to play the first Grand Slam of the year with a COVID-19 vaccine exemption, his timing hardly could have been worse.

While he was in the air, the game apparently shifted — and he was denied entry when he landed. Some are saying politics is at play in a country seeing a virus surge and debating how best to beat it back.

Australian officials initially said Djokovic, a vocal skeptic of vaccines who has refused to say if he got the COVID-19 shot, would be given an exemption to stringent vaccine rules by state authorities and be able to participate in the Australian Open.

But when he landed, his visa was canceled by federal border officials and he's now in an immigration detention hotel while he fights the decision.

It's not clear what caused the reversal, but the news of the exemption led to an outcry that the star was receiving special treatment from Australia, which has seen some of the world's most stringent pandemic rules.

Djokovic’s refusal to discuss his vaccine status or explain why his health-based exemption had been granted didn’t sit well in Open host Melbourne, where 92% of the eligible population is fully vaccinated and where cases are rising.

Melbourne reported 21,728 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, in addition to six deaths and an increase in hospitalizations. By 9 a.m., 18 state-run PCR testing sites had already reached capacity and closed.

In 2020 and 2021, Melbourne residents spent 256 days under severe restrictions on movements and gatherings.

Against that backdrop, many in Australia have cheered the decision to block Djokovic’s arrival.

Columnist Peter FitzSimons wondered how it could be any other way.

“The first grand slam of the year is,...