The Australian Open started Monday at Melbourne Park without Novak Djokovic, who was eventually forced to leave the tournament.
Djokovic was due to headline the night’s match, but the Serb was forced to leave Australia after a court rejected his attempts to stay in the country.
The 34-year-old tennis player left Australia on Sunday night without achieving his dream of being the first man to win 21 Grand Slams, at least for now.
Australia took from the court who is considered the best tennis player in the world. The reason: not showing that you have a vaccination certificate against Covid-19.
On Friday, the country annulled (for the second time) the visa of the number one in world tennis, although – for now – he will not be deported until justice is pronounced.
Revocan visa de Djokovic
The Australian government decided to cancel the Serbian tennis player’s visa again, arguing reasons of “health and public order“, in the words of Immigration Minister Alex Hawk.
Although Djokovic will not be expelled until his appeal is considered, the situation remains very tense: the government wants the Serb to be arrested again on Saturday, after an interview with the immigration authorities and that he can only go out to attend, in the office of his lawyers and under police surveillance, the online hearings of justice, explained the lawyer for the authorities Stephen Lloyd.
The player’s representatives instead they asked that he be able to continue in freedom, awaiting the outcome of the process.
But this judicial saga can be extended even further after Judge Antony Kelly of the state of Victoria declared himself incompetent this Friday and referred the case to the country’s federal justice system.
A sacrifice that must be protected
“Australians have made many sacrifices during this pandemic and they hope, not surprisingly, that the result of these sacrifices will be protected,” insisted Prime Minister Scott Morrison, at the head of one of the countries that has applied the most severe restrictions in the world. to stop the spread of Covid-19.
After this cancellation of the visa, the Serb may have banned from entering the country for three years, except under certain circumstances.
For nearly two years of the pandemic, Australians have been subjected to very severe restrictions, with a strict border closure that has kept citizens abroad separated from their families for a long time.
Members of the local Serbian community hold a banner in front of the legal offices where Serbian tennis champion Novak Djokovic meets with his legal team in Melbourne. (Photo: William West/AFP)
A battle that is just beginning?
Will the number one in world tennis throw in the towel? “Djokovic is extremely well armed and has a competent team around him. You can either stay and fight, or you can leave,” explained immigration attorney Christopher Levingston.
In Belgrade, the compatriots of “Nole” were surprised by the statements of the Australian government.
“To say that a high-level athlete like Novak is a danger to Australians is absurd, it’s a scandal,” said Petar Stojanovic, a 28-year-old local official.
10 days ago, Djokovic traveled to Australia having obtained a vaccination exemption from the tournament organizers. for having tested positive for Covid-19 in mid-December.
However, upon arrival in the country, border authorities did not consider that a recent infection warranted an exception and Djokovic’s visa was revoked and he was sent to a migrant detention center.
The tennis player was locked up there until Monday, when his lawyers managed to get an Australian judge to release him for a procedural error during his interrogation at Melbourne airport.
Since then, Djokovic trained normally at the Australian Open facilities, which on Thursday included him as the first seed in the draw for the draw.
“He makes us look like idiots”
Djokovic acknowledged this week “mistakes” amid the controversy. In a statement, he conceded that the travel declaration given to the authorities contained false information, but alleged that it was filled out by a member of his team.
He also admitted being wrong when meeting with a journalist from the French newspaper L’Equipe on December 18, even knowing that he was infected with coronavirus.
The case sows discrepancy also in the circuit. Some players consider that the authorities should allow the participation of the world number one, but others are not so receptive.
This is the case of the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, number four in the world, who accused the Serbian of “having played by his own rules”.
“That requires a lot of courage and puts the entire tournament in jeopardy… I don’t think there are many tennis players who would have done the same,” he said in an interview with the Indian outlet WION.
Tsitsipas lamented that almost all the players in the Grand Slam have been vaccinated, but “others have chosen to go their own way, which makes most people look like idiots“. (AFP)
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