Djokovic’s unforced errors

Tennis star’s blunder-laden saga in Australia presents a teaching moment for leaders

Known for otherworldly athleticism, mobility, and flexibility, Novak Djokovic rarely gets aced on the tennis court. Recent weeks have shown that’s less the case when it comes to managing public perceptions about himself.

Djokovic’s blunder-laden saga in Australia has been a textbook example of how not to conduct PR and communications. Unfortunately for the Serbian star, the consequences to his brand will linger. An accounting of errors would include at least the following:

Being unaware of potential trouble and the wider context

Team Novak grossly underestimated the sensitivity around an unvaccinated, celebrity athlete entering Australia, a country that has enacted some of the strictest COVID policies on earth and has high vaccination rates.

That the Australian media had already castigated varying levels of government about foreign celebrities circumventing the rules to enter the country eluded him. It’s almost as if the tennis star thought the Australian Open existed in vacuum. Of course nothing does and certainly not a marquee sporting event during a pandemic.

Opaque messaging and late apology equals no control of the narrative

From the outset of the Australian Open saga, the communication coming from the Djokovic camp has been marked with vagueness and inconsistency.

First, he was silent about his entry, letting the speculation about his status run wild. Then, out of the blue, he announced that he was on his way to Australia, having received an exemption that allowed him to compete at the tournament.

When his immigration interview notes became public, it became clear that the basis for exemption was his positive COVID test and things got messier. While he remained silent on the matter, the public got busy reconstructing his movements. Many versions of his actions resurfaced and none made him look good.

This is a classic case of allowing others to take control of the narrative. By using vague messages and waiting too long to explain and apologize, Djokovic and his team missed an opportunity to drive the narrative. His apology simply came too late.

Reliance on family versus professionals

It has become clear over the course of the long ordeal Down Under that Djokovic needs competent professional communications help. Obviously, being unaware of the potential for trouble in Australia led him to rely on family and non-experts for help. Equally obvious is that the lack of PR expertise led to a mishmash of messages that fostered distrust, highlighted his vaccine stance and fed the perception that Djokovic is yet another out of touch multimillionaire athlete.

Paying for good help is often annoying, until you need it. Not knowing you need it tends to extract heavy payment.

No sympathy for the rich

Throughout the pandemic we’ve seen examples of rich and famous getting skewered for trying to get around COVID rules. Two years in, it should be clear that the world has no patience for the suffering of the privileged. So when Djokovic’s parents talked about their son as a victim, or tried to elevate him to the status of a folk hero, they weren’t doing him any favours.

Lessons for leaders

It’s hard to prescribe Team Novak a way out of this mess. However, if you are stepping into a potentially controversial situation, this is what you can do to prepare:

Begin with some situational analysis. What may seem straightforward could be a minefield.

In dynamic circumstances, be prepared to state your position quickly. Make sure your message is simple and bulletproof. Djokovic’s apology came too late, was opaque and raised new issues.

Be thoughtful about the communication channels you choose. Djokovic published his apology via an Instagram post. This failed in terms of getting his voice heard by the broader public. Having consistent communication with a few chosen media outlets would’ve helped.

Be rigorous when it comes to media training and choosing your spokespersons. Your message will have credibility only if it is perceived as impartial, honest and factbased. Family and friends rarely check those boxes.

From the outset, the communication coming from the Djokovic camp has been marked with vagueness and inconsistency