Tennis player Novak Djokovic, 34, is taking legal action against his deportation from Australia after his visa was revoked by the authorities for failing to meet the pandemic entry requirements. The vaccine-skeptical Serb was picked up by border officials on his arrival late Wednesday and is currently in a quarantine hotel for immigrants in Melbourne. A final decision should not be made before a court hearing scheduled for Monday, an Australian government attorney said on Thursday.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Djokovic failed to provide officials with proof of double vaccination or an appropriate medical exemption. “Rules are rules and there are no special cases,” said Morrison. Australian border officials questioned Djokovic overnight and revoked his visa on the grounds that he had “failed to provide adequate evidence of compliance with entry requirements”. Non-citizens who do not have a valid visa upon entry or whose visa has been canceled “will be detained and expelled from Australia,” according to a statement from the border guards. Djokovic’s lawyers are now fighting this decision in court and hope to prevent the deportation of number one in the tennis world.
Djokovic landed at Tullamarine Airport in Melbourne on Wednesday, expecting to defend his title at the Australian Open and win his 21st Grand Slam title. Djokovic had received a special permit from the organizer in order to be able to participate in the tournament that began on January 17th. The 34-year-old has so far refused to announce his vaccination status, but has spoken out against vaccination earlier.
Novak Djokovic is said to have spent the night in this hotel.
(Photo: Joel Carrett / dpa)
After landing, Djokovic was detained for hours after Australian border guards raised concerns about the entry visa. According to the media, the documents submitted by Djokovic did not provide for medical exemptions for unvaccinated people. The authorities of the Australian state of Victoria contacted therefore refused to support him. “Nobody is above the rules,” Prime Minister Morrison tweeted after the decision.
Novak Djokovic’s father reacted indignantly to his son’s refusal to enter. “It’s shameful. Deportation,” Srdjan Djokovic told the Serbian newspaper Blic late Wednesday evening. “I can’t talk to my son, they portray him as a criminal. I have no words for everything they did to him.” Politicians also intervened: “All of Serbia is behind him,” wrote Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Instagram on Thursday night after a phone call with Djokovic. “Our authorities will do everything possible to end the harassment of the best tennis player in the world in the shortest possible time.”
Tournament director Tiley defended the controversial exception for Djokovic
Rafael Nadal, like Djokovic and Roger Federer, 20-time Grand Slam winner, has little pity. “I had Covid, I have been vaccinated twice. If you do that, you have no problem playing here and anywhere in the world. That is the only thing that is clear,” said the Spaniard in Melbourne on Thursday.
Even before Djokovic arrived in Australia, a wave of outrage had built up in the host country of the first Grand Slam tournament of the season. The exception permit for the 34-year-old caused “anger and confusion”, as the broadcaster ABC called it. Other comments ranged from “slap in the face for all Australians” to “slap in the face for millions of Australians”. Tournament director Craig Tiley defended the controversial decision. The permit was granted after a strict review by two independent expert bodies. Djokovic made a “completely legitimate application” and went through the necessary process. At the same time, however, Tiley asked Djokovic to reveal the reasons. “I would like him to speak to the community. I would appreciate getting answers,” Tiley said. 26 professionals or supervisors would have applied for an exemption, only a handful actually received it.
The tournament starts on January 17th in Melbourne. Only players who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus or who have received a medical exemption are allowed to take part. On Tuesday, after weeks of silence and hesitation, Djokovic announced that he would now fly to Australia thanks to precisely such a special permit. The criteria for a special permit are extremely strict, so that actually only seriously ill people are exempted from the compulsory vaccination – for example because of heart problems or serious operations in the recent past. A corona infection in the past six months also entitles you to a medical exemption. Djokovic is only known to have one infection from summer 2020.
Nine-time winner in Melbourne: Novak Djokovic
(Photo: Kelly Defina / Reuters)
Djokovic has already won the Australian Open nine times and wanted to compete as defending champion. If he had won, he could have left his competitors Federer and Nadal behind with Grand Slam triumph number 21. Even before the expulsion, Prime Minister Morrison demanded sufficient evidence for the medical exception. “He has to do that because if he is not vaccinated, he must provide acceptable evidence that he cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons in order to have access to the same travel rules as fully vaccinated travelers,” said Morrison. Otherwise Djokovic will be “on the first plane home”.
Interior Minister Karen Andrews also spoke plainly: “Every person who wants to enter Australia has to comply with our strict border regulations,” she stressed. Victoria State Regional Government and Tennis Australia could allow an unvaccinated player to participate in the tournament, but the border rules would be monitored by the national government. And these rules are and were strict in times of pandemics.
Even before the rejection, there was harsh criticism
“I don’t care how good he is as a tennis player. If he refuses to be vaccinated, he shouldn’t be let in,” said Victoria celebrity doctor Stephen Parnis. The permit is “a terrifying message” to millions of Australians. “It is sad for the people of this country who have repeatedly been denied international and interstate travel during this pandemic, even to see their loved ones dying. For those who have been separated from their children or are unable to attend the funeral of a close friend or family member could participate, “wrote The Canberra Times and concluded: “Unfortunately the rules are different when you’re a global sports superstar.”