Djokovic must remain in Australia until at least Monday

Novak Djokovic will spend at least the next 72 hours in a Melbourne hotel ahead of yet another court case in his bid to stay in Australia and play in the first Grand Slam of the season. A hearing on the case was scheduled for Monday (10), at 16:00 local time (2:00 GMT).

The Serbian is isolated in a hotel room 5 km from Melbourne Park, venue of the Australian Open, after authorities canceled his visa to enter the country, on the morning of this Thursday (6) at Australian time.

“Djokovic did not provide adequate evidence to meet Australia’s entry requirements, and his visa was subsequently cancelled,” Australian border officials said. Prime Minister Scott Morrison stressed that “rules are rules, especially when it comes to our borders.”

The world’s number 1 tennis player is at the center of a controversy for not revealing whether he has been vaccinated against the new coronavirus, in addition to having initially received a special authorization in order to compete in the tournament, in which he would seek his 21st Grand Slam title to compete. isolate as the biggest winner among men — currently, he is tied with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

At a hearing on Thursday, representatives of the athlete and the Australian government reached an agreement that no action would be taken to deport him before Monday’s hearing in federal court. The Australian Open 2022 main draw starts on January 17th.

Earlier, judge Anthony Kelly said he would not be influenced by Tennis Australia’s preference for the matter to be resolved by Tuesday. “If I can say it with the necessary respect, the tail won’t wag the dog here,” he said.

Nick Wood, Djokovic’s representative, said he was available to discuss his client’s situation with authorities. “If the cancellation decision is valid, it is an insurmountable obstacle for Djokovic to compete in the tournament,” said Wood.

Last February, before winning the title in Melbourne for the ninth time, Djokovic was quarantined at a luxury hotel in Adelaide and was able to train at the famous tennis club Memorial Drive during the mandatory isolation period for all Australian Open participants.

In contrast, the immigration hotel where the athlete is now detained, just north of Melbourne’s central business district, is a simple home for people detained in the country for different reasons and periods of time.

Djokovic’s supporters were joined outside the hotel with refugee advocates protesting prolonged detention.

Political strife in Australia

Djokovic’s fate is linked to a political dispute in Australia, characterized by accusations between the Liberal Party’s Morrison administration and the Victoria state government led by Labor Party’s Daniel Andrews.

Disputes escalated as daily Covid-19 infections in Australia hit a record for the fourth day in a row, with new cases surpassing 72,000, overwhelming hospitals and causing labor shortages.

Under Australia’s federal system, states and territories can issue exemptions from vaccination requirements to enter their jurisdictions. However, the federal government controls international borders and can challenge such exemptions.

Djokovic traveled to Australia after receiving an exemption from the government of Victoria, officially communicated by Tennis Australia. According to the agency, the tennis player’s request was accepted by two independent medical panels. This exemption, the reasons for which are not known, supported his visa initially issued by the federal government.

On his arrival, however, Federal Border Force officials at the airport said Djokovic was unable to justify the reasons for his exemption.

The Australian task force that sets the exemption parameters lists the risk of serious heart disease due to inoculation and a Covid-19 infection in the last six months as qualifiers.

However, Morrison said Tennis Australia was told weeks ago that a recent infection did not meet the exemption criteria for the federal government. According to The Age newspaper, two letters from federal health authorities forwarded to the tournament organizers supported this information.

Also according to the publication, several sources heard by the report say that the athlete’s motivation for the request would have been a recent contamination by the coronavirus.

Government officials from Tennis Australia and Victoria said Djokovic did not receive preferential treatment and that he met the requirements required of all participants.