Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke finally used his discretion to cancel Friday, January 14, the visa of world tennis number one Novak Djokovic, ruling that the fact that the Serbian player is not vaccinated against Covid-19 could pose a risk to the community.
On Monday, the federal court in Melbourne had ruled in favor of the Serbian by canceling the cancellation of his visa, a snub for the Australian government. This second cancellation of his visa implies, for the tennis player, the entry ban into the country for three years, except in certain circumstances.
“Australians have made many sacrifices during this pandemic, and rightly want the outcome of these sacrifices to be protected”, reacted the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison. This saga around the tennis champion has indeed a strong political connotation in Australia, whose inhabitants endured for almost two years anti-Covid-19 restrictions among the strictest in the world, and where elections are scheduled from here. to May.
Novak Djokovic, who aimed, by participating in the Australian Open (January 17-30), a record – that of a 21e title of a Grand Slam tournament – however, should appeal. If he does not, or if he is unsuccessful, he will be immediately deported from Australia.
Embarrassing revelations
In recent days, embarrassing revelations have weakened the defense of Novak Djokovic. Before boarding for Melbourne, the world number one celebrated Christmas in Belgrade then made a detour to Marbella (Spain) to train – as evidenced by images published on social networks -, which he did not not specified in the entry form for Australian territory, made public on Tuesday.
The player admitted not having correctly completed his declaration of entry into Australia, and not having followed the rules of isolation after being tested positive for Covid-19 in December – a contamination which he hoped would allow him to benefit from an exemption to enter Australia without being vaccinated.
Wednesday, in a press release posted on Instagram, the Serbian explained that his agent had filled in the document by committing a “Human error, certainly not deliberate”. A survey of the German weekly The mirror published Tuesday also came cast doubt on the date of the positive PCR test presented by Novak Djokovic, hypothesizing that it would not have taken place on December 16 but on December 26 …
Moreover, if this PCR test had indeed taken place on December 16 and if it had been positive, then the tennis player would not have respected the rules of isolation in Serbia. That day, Novak Djokovic appeared without a mask during the presentation of a stamp bearing his likeness by the Serbian Post. The next day, he presented trophies to young people at his academy in Belgrade, posing among them once again unmasked.
“I was asymptomatic (…) and only received the information of my positive PCR test once this event was over ”, The player justified himself on Wednesday, who admitted a “Error of judgment” by also receiving a journalist and a photographer from the sports daily The team December 18.
Ten days of imbroglio
January 4: Novak Djokovic, who then never communicated on his vaccination status, announces on social networks that he is flying to Australia, benefiting from a « exemption » to participate in the Australian Open (January 17-30), where he is aiming for a 10e victory and a 21e crowned in a Grand Slam tournament, a record.
January 5: The Serb is stranded by border police on his arrival at Melbourne airport and sees his visa canceled for failing to provide “The appropriate evidence” to enter Australia.
January 6: Djokovic files an appeal against the cancellation of his visa and his deportation. The latter is suspended and the player is placed in a detention center.
January 8: His lawyers say he has obtained a vaccination exemption from the Australian Tennis Federation and the State of Victoria because he tested positive for Covid-19 on December 16.
January 10: A judge orders the immediate release of Novak Djokovic from the detention center, ruling that the cancellation of his visa by the federal authorities was not legal.
January 14: Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke announces he has canceled visa for world number one “On health and public order grounds, on the grounds that it was in the public interest to do so”.