Novak Djokovic has had his Australian visa canceled and has been told he will be deported from the country
World number one Novak Djokovic has been refused entry into Australia after arriving in the country expecting to be granted permission to compete at the Australian Open with a medical exemption.
Hours after Djokovic arrived at Melbourne Airport late on Tuesday night local time, the Australian Border Force (ABF) issued a statement saying that the Serbian had “failed to provide appropriate evidence to meet the entry requirements to Australia, and his visa has been subsequently canceled.”
“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,” the statement added.
Djokovic’s legal team will reportedly challenge the decision, but should they fail, the 34-year-old star will be forced to leave the country.
Djokovic had headed to Australia after revealing he had been granted a medical exemption to compete at the season-opening Grand Slam in Melbourne, where he was set to defend the title he has won a record nine times previously.
Only fully vaccinated players were allowed at the tournament unless granted the type of exemption which Djokovic had received, which followed verification from two separate medical panels in Australia.
Djokovic has not publicly revealed his vaccine status, but the news that he had been cleared to compete in Melbourne triggered an avalanche of criticism among Australians.
Prior to Djokovic’s arrival, Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned that if there was any suggestion of doubt about the validity of his right to enter to the country then he would be sent packing “on the next plane home.”
In a dramatic twist to the saga, reports in Australia have stated that Djokovic’s team made a mistake with his visa application, leading to him being held in a room while the issue was thrashed out.
The news that Djokovic has been denied entry was met with fury by his father, Srdjan, while Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said the tennis star was a victim of “harassment” and that “the whole” of his homeland was behind him.
Many have questioned how Djokovic was granted an exemption to compete in Australia by medical professionals, only to then meet more hurdles on his arrival in the country.
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