Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic lashed out at the Australian authorities on Instagram on Friday. Vucic accuses Australia of ‘abusing’ his compatriot Novak Djokovic.
Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke withdrew his visa to enter Australia on Friday. Djokovic immediately decided to appeal, but nevertheless threatens expulsion for the number one in the world in men’s tennis. He is preparing in Melbourne for the Australian Open, which starts on Monday.
‘Why are you mistreating him? Why are you attacking not just Novak, but an entire nation?” Vucic quipped on social media. “If you want to ban Novak Djokovic from taking a tenth title in Melbourne, why didn’t you send him right back? Or why didn’t you tell him beforehand that it was impossible to get a visa? Novak, we’re by your side.’
Vucic has supported Djokovic since the start of the case. He called the behavior of the Australian authorities a “political witch hunt” last week.
Immigration Services
Saturday morning a meeting is planned between Djokovic and the immigration services. On Sunday, the judge in Melbourne will then rule on Djokovic’s appeal.
If the unvaccinated Serb still gets the green light to stay in Australia, he will have to compete a day later in the first round against his compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic (ATP 78). Djokovic is aiming for a tenth title at the Australian Open. It would be his 21st Grand Slam title in total.
Djokovic arrived in Melbourne on January 5 and was initially denied his visa. He then spent several days in a quarantine hotel, after which a judge ordered his immediate release on January 10. The Australian Immigration Minister was able to ‘overrule’ that decision and did so on Friday ‘on the basis of the public interest’.
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