Australian authorities have cancelled the visa of number one Tennis player Novak Djokovic and denied him entry ahead of the Australian Open 2022.
Djokovic was held in the airport for several hours before border officials announced he had not met entry rules.
He was then taken to a government detention hotel. A court will decide on his deportation on Monday.
The row is around an exemption he said he had to play in the Australian Open.
Tournament organisers said the Serbian player, who has said he is “opposed to vaccination”, had been granted medical exemption by two independent medical panels organised by Tennis Australia and Victoria state, and denied he had been given special treatment.
Why was Djokovic Held At Airport?
Djokovic arrived at Tullamarine airport in Melbourne at 11.30pm on Wednesday night after a 15-hour flight from Dubai.
He was held under armed guard for several hours over concerns with his visa and exemption from vaccine requirements before the Australian Border Force announced his visa had been cancelled.
In a statement, ABF said the tennis star had “failed to provide appropriate evidence” to support his exemption from a requirement to be double vaccinated against Covid.
“The Australian Border Force will continue to ensure that those who arrive at our border comply with our laws and entry requirements,” it said.
“The ABF can confirm that Mr Djokovic failed to provide appropriate evidence to meet the entry requirements to Australia, and his visa has been subsequently cancelled.
“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.”
Djokovic’s participation in the Australian Open has become a hot political topic, with many Australians furious that he was granted an exemption to enter the country. Meanwhile, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Instagram that spoke to Djokovic while he was being held at the airport, and added that Serbian authorities were taking measures “so the harassment of the best tennis player in the world be stopped in the shortest possible time.”
Djoker is a fix
Speculation of a possible issue with the visa emerged while Djokovic was in transit and escalated with mixed messages from federal and state lawmakers.
Djokovic’s revelation on social media that he was heading to Australia seeking a record 21st major title sparked some debate and plenty of headlines on Wednesday, with critics questioning what grounds he could have for the exemption and backers arguing he has a right to privacy and freedom of choice.
Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley defended the “completely legitimate application and process” and insisted there was no special treatment for Djokovic.
The Victoria state government-mandated that only fully vaccinated players, staff, fans and officials could enter Melbourne Park when the tournament starts on Jan. 17.
What is a medical exemption?
Only 26 people connected with the tournament applied for a medical exemption and, Tiley said, only a “handful” were granted.
Among the reasons allowed for those applying for a vaccination exemption can include acute major medical conditions, serious adverse reaction to a previous dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, or evidence of a COVID-19 infection within the previous six months.
If an exemption was deemed valid in line with the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (Atagi) guidelines, the medical exemption would be submitted to the Australian Immunisation Register.
As the determining panel was blind, no panellists would ever know the identity of any player seeking an exemption.