Visa withdrawal before the Australian Open: Djokovic fights against an obligation to leave the country

The Serbian tennis star Djokovic had traveled to Australia with a controversial medical exemption. However, the authorities canceled his visa. Djokovic now wants to take legal action against this.

Masked people with yellow plastic cloaks greet Djokovics’ white minibus in the underground car park of a hotel in Melbourne, then a heavy steel gate closes behind the car. For the tennis world number one, the Australian Open ended before they even started. His visa has been revoked and the Serb has to leave the country.

Exception for medical reasons?

Previously, a storm of indignation had swept Down Under. The tabloids wrote of an extra sausage for tennis millionaires after the entry of the allegedly unvaccinated Djokovic. In a downright mantra-like manner, the Australian Tennis Association had therefore repeatedly emphasized that everything was in order. An independent committee of experts decided on the exemption – anonymously, without knowing the name of the applicant.

The requirements for tennis players are even stricter than for everyone else, explained tennis boss Craig-Tiley: “And in this case, the exemption was granted for medical reasons, which are of course confidential and which we as a tennis association also do not know.”

Djokovic: Intervention for him unacceptable

Heart disease or allergic reactions can be a reason for entering Australia without a vaccination. Or a Covid illness that you survived in the past six months. Djokovic is silent about his vaccination status, but has repeatedly made it clear that such an intervention in his body is unacceptable to him.

And even if there are no indications of irregularities in Djokovic’s entry: The signal was fatal in a country with such strict corona rules. For a long time, the whole of Australia was practically a fortress, no one came in, no one out. Collectively, Melbourne has had the longest lockdown in the world. Vaccination refusals lose their jobs in the state of Victoria, employers have to pay horrific fines if they employ unvaccinated people.

“Of course that’s his decision, but if he doesn’t get vaccinated, he can’t come,” said a citizen on the street. “Our government was very clear about that.”

Authority: Visa is invalid

Former Australian tennis pro Sam Groth was upset that all Australians had been spat in the face with the exemption. And less prominent players were also very irritated. “I guess if it had been me, I wouldn’t have been allowed to enter,” said one of the Australian team. And his colleague added with a smile: “In any case, it’s interesting, that’s all I want to say about it.”

Then in the morning the U-turn. Health Minister Greg Hunt said in a press conference that the visa for Novac Djokovic was invalid: “A check by the border authorities has shown that Mr Djokovic does not meet the conditions for such an exemption. His visa was therefore subsequently revoked.”

Djokovic takes action against it

Djokovic now wants to take legal action against visa withdrawal. The lawyers of the world’s number one appealed to a court in Melbourne, as the Australian news portal “The Age” reported.

This path is of course open to him, comments Australia’s Health Minister Hunt dryly. “But if a visa is revoked, that person has to leave the country immediately.”