Novak Djokovic has been ruled out of the Australian Open, after the courts decided that he would be deported. The back and forth surrounding the Serbian tennis player has been built around him not being vaccinated.
Djokovic had arrived in the country on January 5, believing that his visa had been granted in November with a medical exemption from Tennis Australia. But now, the federal court has denied him permission to enter the country, and has cancelled his visa.
What has Novak Djokovic said about the situation?
“I respect the court’s ruling and I will cooperate with the relevant authorities in relation to my departure from the country,” Djokovic said of the decision, though adding that he was “extremely disappointed”.
“I am uncomfortable that the focus of the past weeks has been on me and I hope that we can all now focus on the game and tournament I love. I would like to wish the players, tournament officials, staff, volunteers and fans all the best for the tournament.”
The Australian Border Force at Melbourne airport cancelled his visa, which sparked a feud between himself, his representatives and Australia.
The authorities have further gone on to state that his arrival in the country would contribute to civil unrest and would also promote anti vaccination sentiments among the people.
The date of Novak Djokovic’s deportation has not been announced yet, although deportation orders are implemented rather quickly. There has been no indication of whether he will be banned for the next few years or not either.
