Novak Djokovic told to leave Australia
Novak Djokovic’s chance to compete at the Australian Open has been jeopardised after he was told to leave Australia following the cancellation of his visa.
The news of Djokovic’s cancelled visa comes after he sparked fury among Aussies following the announcement that he was allowed to enter the country without confirming his vaccination status.
The tennis star arrived in Melbourne on an Emirates flight from Dubai shortly after 11pm on Wednesday night AEST.
However, Djokovic was questioned by Border Force officials overnight until early Thursday morning.
Djokovic being quizzed about evidence to support vax exemption by border officials in airport room hours after landing. Fed govt source said COVID infection in past 6mos - suspected basis for Novak's exemption - may not suffice under border laws https://t.co/TM5BF0Gu80 @theage https://t.co/rfBv2UwkVQ
— Paul Sakkal (@paulsakkal) January 5, 2022
His father Srdjan reportedly spoke to a Serbian radio station, saying his son was “isolated in a room” at the airport and held under police guard.
He later released a fiery statement to Serbian media calling for the release of his son.
“I have no idea what’s going on, they’re holding my son captive for five hours,” he said.
“This is not a fight for the libertarian world, this is not just a fight for Novak, but a fight for the whole world!
“If they don’t let him go in half an hour, we will gather in the street, this is a fight for everybody.”
Serbian president Aleksander Vucic also became involved in the saga, calling Djokovic and sharing an update on Instagram.
“Just got off the phone with Novak. I told our Novak that the whole of Serbia is with him, and that our authorities are taking all measures to stop the harassment of the best tennis player in the world in the shortest possible period,” Vucic wrote.
“In accordance with all the norms of international public law, Serbia will fight for Novak Djokovic, for justice and truth.
“Otherwise, Novak is strong, as we all know him.”
Shortly after Vocic’s update, Djokovic’s visa was cancelled.
The cancellation came after the world No. 1 failed to provide evidence to support his medical exemption - a requirement for unvaccinated people - and a visa application that was potentially incorrectly filled out.
He was also believed to be relying on his past infection with Covid within the last six months, however a federal government source told The Age it was unclear whether that was sufficient for Djokovic to enter the country under federal guidelines.
“Non-citizens who do not hold a valid visa on entry or who have had their visa cancelled will be detained and removed from Australia,” a statement released on Thursday said.
Sources speaking to The Age have said Djokovic’s lawyers are in the process of challenging the decision.
However, it is unclear whether Djokovic will leave Australia or if he will stay while his lawyers attempt to overturn the decision.
Earlier, the Victorian Government said it had rejected Djokovic’s entry via Twitter, stating that he was entering on a work visa which requires state government support.
Acting Sports and Major Events Minister Jaala Pulford tweeted late on Wednesday night that the government would not support Djokovic’s application.
“The Federal Government has asked if we will support Novak Djokovic’s visa application to enter Australia,” she wrote.
“We will not be providing Novak Djokovic with individual visa application support to participate in the 2022 Australian Open Grand Slam.
“We’ve always been clear on two points: visa approvals are a matter for the Federal Government, and medical exemptions a matter for doctors.”
Image: @djokernole (Instagram)