Novak Djokovic set to be deported after Australia visa row
Nine-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic looks set to miss this month’s Grand Slam after he was dramatically denied entry to the country yesterday.
The men’s tennis world No1 struck a triumphant tone when posting on social media this week that he would be playing the Australian Open having been exempted from its strict Covid-19 vaccination requirements.
But when Djokovic landed in Melbourne late on Wednesday night and attempted to enter a country whose hardline stance stands in stark contrast to his apparent opposition to getting jabbed, he was brought back down to earth in more ways than one.
Owing to concerns about his documentation, officials refused to admit the Serb. They then questioned him for several hours before rejecting his visa and ordering him to leave. His lawyers last night indicated they would appeal.
According to some reports, the type of visa that he had applied for did not allow for medical exemptions against vaccination. Other accounts suggested there were questions about whether he could provide paperwork to justify his vaccine-exempt status.
After Australia’s Border Force became aware of a potential issue relating to Djokovic’s visa while he was in transit, Victoria’s state government said that it was asked, as major stakeholders in the tournament, to endorse his entry to the country.
Victorian officials declined, leading to the tennis star being questioned at length by immigration at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport into the early hours of Thursday morning. Border Force has disputed the nature of its request to Victoria.
It remains unclear whether Djokovic could still challenge for his 10th Australian Open title in the coming weeks, but the backlash to his exemption has already been instructive.
Online sentiment in response to the announcement that he was on his way to the tournament was overwhelmingly negative, while politicians have been eager to reflect the public outcry.
Australian prime minister Scott Morrison leapt at the chance to warn that the tournament favourite would be put “one the next plane home” if his papers were not in order.
“If that evidence is insufficient, then he won’t be treated any different to anyone else,” he added. “There should be no special rules for Novak Djokovic at all, none whatsoever.”
Victoria’s sports minister Jaala Pulford, meanwhile, broadcast her government’s decision not to back a visa for Djokovic on Twitter.
“We’ve always been clear on two points: visa approvals are a matter for federal government, and medical exemptions are a matter for doctors,” she said.
Players have been split on the issue. The fact that Australian Open medical exemption applications were anonymised and assessed by two separate bodies did not allay suspicions among some, including Britain’s Jamie Murray, that Djokovic was receiving favourable treatment on account of his status. Australian Alex de Minaur appeared to question the exemption decision, calling it “very interesting”.
Less than a fortnight out from the start of the tournament, huge question marks remain over the participation of arguably its biggest draw. If he didn’t know it before, Djokovic must now realise that, even if he does play, the reception looks likely to be mixed at best.