Novak Djokovic Will Not Compete In The Australian Open Due To A Visa Issue

Novak Djokovic Will Not Compete In The Australian Open Due To A Visa Issue

Novak Djokovic’s drama in Australia has finally come to an end.

On Sunday, an Australian judge denied his request to have his visa reinstated for the second time, indicating that he will be deported.

Touchaheart Nigeria reports that in a statement, the world No. 1 men’s tennis player acknowledged the fight is ended and that he will not compete in the Australian Open.

“I am extremely disappointed with the Court ruling to dismiss my application for judicial review of the Minister’s decision to cancel my visa, which means I cannot stay in Australia and participate in the Australian Open.

“I respect the Court’s ruling and I will cooperate with the relevant authorities aboutture from the country.”

He was supposed to start defending his championship in the tournament on Monday evening local time (5 a.m. ET). An alternate will now take over that slot.

This brings to a close an unprecedented multi-week legal battle that began when his visa was revoked upon his arrival in Melbourne for the event on Jan. 6. Because his medical exemption for the COVID-19 vaccine was deemed ineligible by immigration officials, the decision was made.

Unless an exemption applies, all visitors to the nation must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Djokovic, a Serbian, has indicated that he is not immunized.

Though a judge temporarily renewed his visa on Jan. 10 to give him more time to appeal, the back-and-forth fight resumed three days later when the ruling was revoked.

The tennis player now has one last chance to win in the country’s Federal Court on Sunday. It didn’t work out for Djokovic.

“I am uncomfortable that the focus of the past weeks has been on me and I hope that we can all now focus on the game and tournament I love. I would like to wish the players, tournament officials, staff, volunteers, and fans all the best for the tournament.

“Finally, I would like to thank my family, friends, team, supporters, fans, and my fellow Serbians for your continued support. You have all been a great source of strength to me.”

While the country’s rigorous COVID-19 immunization policy is at the heart of the problem, Djokovic added to the confusion by providing inaccurate information on his visa form.

He claimed not to have traveled in the two weeks running up to his arrival in Australia on the paper. Djokovic later confirmed that he had traveled to Spain in the preceding days and apologized for his error.

Sorry didn’t seem to be enough.

Alex Hawke, Australia’s Immigration Minister, backed the court’s judgment, claiming that rigorous COVID laws are required to keep death rates low.

“I welcome today’s unanimous decision by the Full Federal Court of Australia, upholding my decision to exercise my power under the Migration Act to cancel Mr. Novak Djokovic’s visa in the public interest.

“Australia’s strong border protection policies have kept us safe during the pandemic, resulting in one of the lowest death rates, strongest economic recoveries, and highest vaccination rates in the world. Strong border protection policies are also fundamental to safeguarding Australia’s social cohesion which continues to strengthen despite the pandemic.

The withdrawal of Novak Djokovic from the competition had a significant impact on the men’s draw. He’s won nine times in total, including the last three.

He would have been seeking to win the 21st grand slam event of his career, which would be a new men’s record. He is equal with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer for the most titles (20).

While each country has its COVID laws, it’s unclear what Djokovic’s status will be for future major tournaments.