It’s a game, set and match for the Australian government. The Australian Federal Court on Sunday rejected the appeal brought by world number one tennis player Novak Djokovic against the cancellation of his visa and his expulsion from the country.
“The Court orders that the appeal be dismissed at the plaintiff’s expense,” said the decision unanimously approved by the three judges, on the eve of the start of the Australian Open. This verdict definitively buries the 34-year-old Serb’s hopes of winning a record 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open which begins on Monday.
Back to the Park Hotel box
The decision of the Court, announced by its president James Allsop, is in theory impossible to contest by the player, forced to leave Australia immediately with possible long-term repercussions for his career. Sunday after the hearing, Djokovic was taken back to the Park Hotel, the austere detention center for illegal immigrants now world famous, which he should now only leave to board the plane that will take him home.
More information to come on 20 minutes…