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The country’s authorities denied entry to the world’s number one tennis player, who has publicly rejected vaccines against Covid-19. After hours of being detained at the airport, his visa was canceled. ‘Nole’ could be left out of the Australian Open, to which he was going in search of his 21st Grand Slam victory.
A hard setback for those who are considered the best tennis player in the world, and also for their fans. The Australian Government confirmed on Wednesday, January 5, that it had revoked the tennis player’s visa, who arrived in the country with a medical exemption that in principle would have allowed him to play at the Australian Open without being vaccinated.
But that exemption did not cover him from the strict entry measures to the oceanic country, which also require vaccination of anyone who wants to enter and not who have explicitly requested – and been granted – a medical exemption for having overcome the coronavirus less than less than six months or have had adverse reactions to vaccines.
The Australian Border Force reported that the tennis player had not provided “adequate evidence to meet the requirements to enter the country” and thus the tennis idol was stranded at Melbourne’s Tullamarine airport after flying 14 hours from Dubai.
Djokovic was taken to a surveillance room and later informed that his visa had been canceled and that he would be expelled from the country on Thursday. “Non-citizens who do not have a valid visa upon entry or who have had their visa canceled will be detained and expelled from Australia,” the letter from the Australian Border Force stated.
The highest ranked for the tournament and a 20-time Grand Slam winner has repeatedly opposed vaccination and refuses to indicate whether he is already vaccinated. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the tennis player has starred in various scandals, including the Adria Tour, a tournament he organized in 2020 despite violating all health regulations against the pandemic.
Djokovic’s situation turns towards a diplomatic struggle
News of his impending deportation has caused a stir from Melbourne to Belgrade.
The Serbian president, Aleksandar Vucic, rejected the situation of his compatriot and even classified the treatment received by the tennis player as “harassment”. According to Serbian media, Vucic called the Australian ambassador in Belgrade and demanded that Djokovic be released immediately so that he could compete.
“I just finished my phone conversation with Novak Djokovic,” Vucic posted on Instagram. “I told our Novak that all of Serbia is with him and that our (diplomatic) bodies are doing everything possible so that the harassment of the best tennis player in the world is stopped immediately,” he added.
But Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that “rules are rules” and that the athlete would be no exception.
“If the items (to prove his exemption) are not enough, then he will not be treated differently from another and will be on the next plane to take him home. There should be no exception rules for Novak Djokovic. None of any kind.” Morrison assured the press.
Tense moments for Australia, Djokovic would appeal the decision
And it is that the situation in Australia and in the state of Victoria, which is home to the city of Melbourne, is once again experiencing moments of tension due to the pandemic. The city, where the Open must be played from January 17, is witnessing a re-outbreak of record infections due to the Ómicron variant and the exhaustion of a population that has been the one that has been confined the longest throughout the health emergency .
Amid widespread discontent among the Australian population, who have faced some of the strictest anti-covid policies in the world, the Australian tennis federation and authorities were quick to ensure that Djokovic “has not received any preferential treatment”.
Meanwhile, the tennis player’s lawyers are studying how to appeal the decision of the Australian authorities.
Djokovic is a nine-time Australian Open winner, triple defending champion, and if he wins the tournament, he would become the first champion to win 21 Grand Slam tournaments, with one more title than the legendary Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
With Reuters, AP and EFE
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