At 6:03 p.m. sharp (8:03 a.m. in Paris), half an hour after being informed orally, Novak Djokovic‘s lawyers were notified in writing of the new cancellation of their client’s visa. Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke has indeed decided to assert his discretionary power and show the world No. 1 out of the country.
“Today I have exercised the power conferred on me by section 133C (3) of the Migration Act (…) to cancel the visa held by Mr. Novak Djokovic for reasons of health and good order, on the grounds that it was in the public interest to do so, said Alex Hawke in a statement. In making this decision, I carefully considered the information provided to me by the Home Office, the Australian Border Force and Mr. Djokovic. The Morrison government is strongly committed to protecting Australia’s borders, especially with regard to the Covid-19 pandemic. “
The Serb therefore received a new blow of the club, but did not necessarily lose the game, because his representatives had already indicated their intention to appeal and request a fast-track procedure to be fixed by Sunday evening at the latest. , a few hours before the first balls exchanged on the courts of Melbourne Park.
Because beyond a simple renunciation to defend his title and run for a 10th coronation in Melbourne and a 21st in the Grand Slam, it is a three-year inadmissibility that hangs over the Belgradois. In other words, almost an end of career at the antipodes …
As a result, there are hardly any options available. Djokovic can accept the sentence and head for the airport himself, waiving his appeal. Aware of the incredible conditions of a hypothetical participation and the damage it has already caused to its image. This is a priori the least plausible outcome.
Then, the man with the 20 Grand Slams returns to the court, which was favorable to him for the first time last Monday by reinstating his visa. He loses and this time he is kindly (or not) escorted back to the border. He wins and it is a real snub for the Australian government.
But in the event of an appeal, whatever the verdict, Djokovic is a visa-free non-resident on Australian soil. This means that it will also be necessary to rule on whether or not to return to detention during the proceedings. Last week, he had already spent four days at the Park Hotel, a detention center for migrants, where he could return in the next few hours.
