Australian Open, top controversies: Djokovic’s deportation, McEnroe’s disqualification, Medvedev-Tsitsipas tussle and more

The Australian Open kicks off on January 12, and like any other sports event, it will inevitably bring quite a few controversies with it.

Here are some of the biggest controversies that have taken place at the Australian Open in the past:

Djokovic gets deported

Ahead of the 2022 Australian Open, many were keen to see whether Novak Djokovic would be able to secure his 10th Australian Open. Prior to the tournament, Djokovic revealed that he had got a medical exemption since he was not vaccinated against COVID-19.

READ | Novak Djokovic still stressed at Melbourne airport after 2022 deportation

However, his visa was cancelled upon his arrival Down Under by the Australian Border Force and he was held in an immigration detention hotel for a few days. He appealed the decision in the courts and got it overturned but Alex Hawke, the then Australia Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs used his special powers to cancel Djokovic’s visa on “on health and good order grounds.” The Serbian even applied for a judicial review but his application was dismissed. He left Australia and went to Dubai after the ruling.

McEnroe’s default

John McEnroe covers his face after disqualification by the umpire during the Australian Open in Melbourne in January 1990.
| Photo Credit:
THE HINDU ARCHIVES

John McEnroe took on Sweden’s Mikael Pernfors in 1990 in the fourth round while attempting to secure his first Australian Open title. With the match tied at one set apiece, McEnroe glared at a lineswoman who he felt had made an incorrect call and earned himself a conduct code violation.

A set later, McEnroe cracked his racket’s head and received another code violation. He argued with chair umpire Gerry Armstrong and called for Grand Slam chief Ken Farrar. Farrar arrived at the court and spoke with the American who continued to swear. The chair umpire then gave him a third and final code violation, disqualifying him from the match.

McEnroe became the first player since 1963 to be disqualified from a Grand Slam tournament for misconduct.

Medvedev and Tsitsipas have a quarrel

Matches between Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are always feisty affairs, stemming from a rivalry that began at the 2018 Miami Open. When the two met at the 2022 Australian Open, Medvedev made a strong start by claiming the first set, before the chaos began as Medvedev began shouting at the chair umpire for failing to stop the Greek player’s father and coach from coaching him from the box. On-court coaching was not allowed at that time. Medvedev would go on to win in four sets on his way to the final, while Tsitsipas would say that he felt he was being targeted by umpires for claims of coaching.

Bushfires cause issues for players

Across 2019 and 2020, Australia suffered the effects of bushfires across the country, and when the 2020 Australian Open came around, there were significant concerns about how the tournament would be affected. Several players suffered from breathing issues, with Dalila Jakupovic forced to retire from a match as a result, and there were calls for the tournament to be either cancelled or postponed. However, these calls were rejected and the tournament went ahead anyway.

Matchfixing reports

The 2016 Australian Open was struck by controversy when suspicions of match-fixing began to circulate. Ahead of the tournament, there were reports that eight players in the main draw had been investigated for match-fixing. A few days later, before a first-round mixed doubles match between Lara Arruabarrena and David Marrero, and Andrea Hlavackova and Lukasz Kubot, a major betting site was forced to suspend betting for the match on account of unusual betting patterns. The organisers and players involved all denied any wrongdoing, and the tournament continued.