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NADAL: Australian Open draw was ‘cancelled’ and then rescheduled due to Novak Djokovic farce
NADAL: Australian Open draw was ‘canceled’ and then rescheduled due to Novak Djokovic’s farce
A look back to 2022 when Novak Djokovic forced the Australian Open draw to be postponed.
Novak Djokovic caused the 2022 Australian Open draw to be postponed 12 months ago as the vaccine farce that affected his entire year boiled over in Melbourne. The Serb believed he had a medical exemption to play at the tournament and amid a high-profile legal battle, uncertainty over his eligibility to compete rumbled on right up to the start of the competition.
Djokovic remains unvaccinated against COVID-19 and only Australia’s more lenient restrictions mean he can play at the 2023 Australian Open this month. It was initially thought that he might be barred from the country for a further three years having been deported.
The 21-times Grand Slam champion’s vaccination status caused chaos last year and forced the draw to be postponed until it was confirmed that he would not be able to play. Tennis Australia initially planned to host the draw at 3 PM local time on January 13, but it was put back until later in the day.
In bizarre scenes, with the live feed already running, The Times reported that the draw had been “canceled until further notice”. The stream for the draw, which had started just after 3 PM, was cut.
The publication had sought clarity from a steward that the draw would go ahead as planned just two minutes before it was postponed. It was initially unclear why the event had been halted so suddenly, but it was later reported by the Guardian that it had been moved to 4:15 PM as the status of Djokovic was unknown.
Tournament rules stated that Djokovic would be replaced by someone who lost during qualifying if he dropped out after the Day One order of play was released. If he dropped out during the tournament, his opponent would be granted a walkover and advance in the bracket.
NADAL: Australian Open draw was ‘cancelled’ and then rescheduled due to Novak Djokovic farce
Then ranked as the world No 1, Djokovic believed he had a valid medical exemption to enter Australia. However, his visa was denied and revoked following a lengthy legal back-and-forth that also saw him detained in an immigration center.
Scott Morrison, the then-prime minister, slammed the Serb, accusing him of breaching the country’s border rules. Morrison, who lost the top job following a disappointing election defeat just months later, told journalists: “You either have to be vaccinated or you have to have a valid medical exemption and show evidence of it. It’s as simple as that.”
To give a further indication of how the the draw was suddenly postponed at short notice, I asked a member of Tennis Australia staff outside the room at 2:58pm if there was going to be a delay and was told it was going ahead.
— Stuart Fraser (@stu_fraser) January 13, 2022
READ MORE Tennis Star backs fans to boo Novak Djokovic as Andy Murray also weighs in
Home affairs minister Karen Andrews added that Djokovic was banned from entering the country for three years. She said: “The visa was canceled by [Immigration] Minister Hawke. That cancellation was upheld by the Federal Court, so as a result of that, he will be banned from entry for three years into the country.”
Andrews said that should Djokovic return to Australia with compelling reasons in the future “that may be looked at but that’s all hypothetical at this point”.
Djokovic’s ban has since been overturned, with a new government now in place. The 35-year-old remains unvaccinated and will face trouble getting into the United States later this year, but for now, he can compete for a 10th Australian Open title.
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Can this be the road to marriage?. Lewis Hamilton drops a like on Camila Cabello being the world’s best ex-girlfriend
Can this be the road to marriage?. Lewis Hamilton drops a like on Camila Cabello being the world’s best ex-girlfriend
After spending a fun day at the tracks of Miami, Camila Cabello dropped a photo and video dump on her Instagram from her day on the circuit. The first picture that she uploaded is one of her blowing a kiss wearing a teeshirt that reads, “World’s best ex-girlfriend.” The pop star called it quits with her boyfriend back in 2021 and while they got back together in 2023 for a brief period, things did not work out for them.
The second picture is one of her wearing the same clothes in a different pose, and the third post in the carousel is a video of her singing at the Miami Grand Prix Day 2. The rest of the carousel is full of pictures of her from the time she was in Miami on Saturday.
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Camila Cabello’s post has received a lot of attention online with the post having more than a million likes in just one day. Among the people to like the post is none other than the 7-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton and this is starting to create a buzz online.
Other Celebrities to react to Camila Cabello’s post
While Lewis Hamilton dropped a simple like on the post, there were other popular figures who had something to share about the post. Among the celebrities was Lil Nas X, a pop star and rapper who has taken off by winning millions of hearts with his edge music style. He commented on the post saying, “U so bad shawty.”
Another artist that took to the comments section was EDM DJ and Producer, Diplo who simply complimented Cabello by saying the word “Hottest” with a fire emoji. Other celebrities to comment on the post included Tate McRae who commented, “u are so hot” and Greeicy who said, “TALENTOSAAAA.” Making things interesting, MTV LA’s official Instagram page also commented on the post saying, “i luv it.”
That being said, Camila Cabello received a lot of attention during the Miami Grand Prix, and along with the carousel, she also made an Instagram reel with the famous child yelling Leclerc audio to add to the F1 trend.
What do you think of having such high-profile fans in the audience at Grand Prix weekends? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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This is Huge $300M-worth: Dale Earnhardt Jr receives back priceless piece of dad’s legacy from his former pit crew member
This is Huge $300M-worth: Dale Earnhardt Jr receives back priceless piece of dad’s legacy from his former pit crew member
Dale Earnhardt Jr. was presented with a heartwarming gift, symbolic of his father’s legacy, from Danny “Chocolate” Myers and Kirk Shelmerdine in the latest episode of Dale Jr Download. Chocolate Myers worked as a fueler for the #3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet team.
He was an integral part of the pit crew during all of Dale Earnhardt Sr’s six championship triumphs with RCR. Kirk Shelmerdine served as the crew chief of the #3 Chevy team from 1984
to 1992. In a recent episode of Dale Jr. Download, Myers presented Dale Earnhardt Jr, worth $300 million (via Celebrity Net Worth), his father’s iconic goggles as a gift.
Myers fondly reminisced how he would retrieve the goggles from the #3 Chevy every week after the race
“I got ready to come down here and I looked around and I’m going – I’ve got a couple of things right. And remember I was the guy that when we came back from the race track, went out put the car on the lift, started to get it clean and your dad would always take these off and leave them hanging on the mirror and I would always reach in and grab them. These are a pair of your dad’s goggles,” Myers said.
The former ‘Flying Aces’ RCR pit crew member further mentioned that these particular goggles were from a Daytona Duel win, which he inscribed on the strap. However, he later confessed that he forgot to
mention the year:
“I wrote on the strap when I took them out of the car ‘Winner Daytona 125’. Now unfortunately, when I wrote that on there I didn’t put what year. So these could be [from any year]… cause we won it
ten years straight man and nobody’s ever going to do that. So I wanted to give you those to hang on the wall.”
Dale Earnhardt Sr. won 10 straight duel races between 1990-99 and won 34 races at the Daytona International Speedway, including the 1998 Daytona 500 victory
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This is Bad: Kevin Harvick Exposed What NASCAR is Making Chase Elliott Going Through
Chase Elliott is the last remaining representative of illustrious lineages in the world of NASCAR. Throughout the sport’s history, there have been numerous superstar drivers who come from legendary racing families, such as the Petty, Earnhardt, Wallace, and Allison families. However, over time, this trend has diminished, leaving only Hendrick Motorsports as the last stronghold of these great lineages.
While being born into a family of drivers may grant certain advantages and access, it also comes with a tremendous burden. These drivers must constantly strive to live up to the legacy and achievements of their predecessors. Chase Elliott, in particular, faces the daunting task of matching the exceptional performance achieved by his father, a former champion. For others, this bar may seem unattainable.
During a recent episode of the Happy Hour podcast with Chase Elliott, the 2014 Cup champion discussed the immense pressure that drivers like Elliott and Dale Jr. face. He expressed that this pressure is unwarranted and something these drivers cannot escape.
In the same podcast, Chase Elliott shared that his passion for racing stems from the competitive nature of the sport. He emphasized that this motivation has been a constant force in his life since childhood.
As the driver of the #9 car for Hendrick Motorsports, Elliott has already emerged from his father’s shadow and established his own legacy by winning championships. However, he still has much more to contribute to the sport and the fans who have embraced him. Undoubtedly, they would love to see him end his career as a multiple champion.
Can this be the road to marriage?. Lewis Hamilton drops a like on Camila Cabello being the world’s best ex-girlfriend
This is Huge $300M-worth: Dale Earnhardt Jr receives back priceless piece of dad’s legacy from his former pit crew member
