Djokovic should take notice of Eddie

YOUR columnist can barely sleep for worrying about top-end professional sportsmen and the threat of “bubble fatigue”.

Novak Djokovic, the poor petal, quickly arrived at his wit’s end when confronted by the reality of governmentimposed restrictions ahead of the Australian Open. How, he wondered aloud on social media, could he possibly prepare properly while stuck in a luxury hotel, rather than a private house with its own tennis court?

The Serbian was barking up the wrong eucalyptus tree. But for the strictness of the isolation policy, the tournament would have been scrapped and Djokovic would not have been allowed into the country at all.

Eddie Jones, an Aussie national, struck a more appropriate note when, in discussing the England team’s secure environment ahead of the Six Nations, he remarked: “It’s a tough time for society and we want to make sure that, because we have this opportunity to do something we love doing when everyone else is struggling so much, we do it with a lot of gratitude, desire and enthusiasm.”

Amen to that.