Novak Djokovic is heading for deportation from Australia, as the Federal Court of the country rejected the appeal against the cancellation of the visa of the No. 1 tennis player in the world.
Thus, the 34-year-old "Nole" does not have the right to participate in the Australian Open which starts tomorrow.
The Australian Federal Court has rejected Djokovic's appeal against the ombudsman's decision to use his transnational authority to revoke Djokovic's passport on the grounds that the Serb's decision not to vaccinate him was a risk.
Accepts the court decision, leaves Australia - The first statement
Novak Djokovic made his first statement to reporters after the decision to deport him from Australia. The No. 1 tennis player states that he is disappointed for the fact that he will not be able to play in the Melbourne Open, he asks for some time to rest, while he thanks the people who supported him.
As he says:
"I would like to make a brief statement to refer to the results of today's hearing.
I will now take some time to rest and recover, before making further comments beyond that.
I'm extremely disappointed with the Court's decision to reject my application for judicial review of the Minister's decision to cancel my visa, which means that I can not stay in Australia and participate in the Australian Open.
I respect the decision of the Court and I will cooperate with the competent authorities in connection with my departure from the country.
I feel uncomfortable being the focus of the last few weeks and I hope we can all now focus on the game and tournament I love.
I would like to wish the players, the tournament organizers, the staff, the volunteers and the fans all the best for the tournament.
Finally, I would like to thank my family, friends, team, supporters, fans and fellow Serbs for your continued support. "You were all a great source of strength for me."
It is noted that the organizers of the Open replaced him with Salvatore Caruso, as the draw had taken place before the final decision and the tournament starts tomorrow, Monday.
What was said in court
The hearing lasted about six hours and both sides presented their views to the judges, who unanimously decided to cancel the visa of the top athlete.
A central argument of Nole's lawyers was that the presence and participation of No. 1 in the world tennis rankings at the Australian Open does not encourage the anti-vaccination movement and sentiment.
"If there was any reason to think that Mr κοokovi παρουσία's presence and participation in a tennis tournament could in some way lead to this anti-vaccination sentiment, one would expect to be supported by some kind of evidence of protests. or concentrations. "Last year he competed in the Australian Open and other major tournaments around the world and did not cause anything.", said Djokovic's legal representative, Nick Wood.
On the contrary, his lawyer added, Djokovic's possible deportation could spur the anti-vaccination movement and protests.
The government for its part claimed that Djokovic "It has become a symbol for vaccination groups."
"And what role could one play if someone with Djokovic's status and importance is in Australia at a time when vaccination is an issue?", they reported.
"Rightly or wrongly, it is considered to support an anti-vaccination view. And his presence here seems to contribute to that and could lead more people to become anti-vaccinators. ", they also said.
It is recalled that on Friday morning the Australian government canceled Djokovic's visa for the second time.
The decision, according to the Minister of Immigration, was taken for reasons of "public health and order", since unvaccinated non-Australian travelers are not allowed to enter Australian territory.
Following the government decision, the athlete's lawyers rushed to court, requesting its annulment. They even asked for an acceleration of the appeal process in order for the player to be able to play in the Grand Slam that starts on January 17th.
According to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, the decision was made to protect the "sacrifices" of Australians.
Because he wanted so much to play in the Australian Open
Novak Djokovic has won the Melbourne Australian Open nine times in his career, including the last three.
Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have won 20 Grand Slam titles - more than any other player.
Djokovic has often spoken of his desire to surpass his two great rivals and stand out as the most award-winning tennis player of all time.
He lost the No. 21 Grand Slam at the US Open last year, where he lost to Dmitry Medvedev.
But Melbourne always seemed like the most likely place to win. It is his most successful Grand Slam and undoubtedly the place where he felt the most support from the crowd.
Source: KYPE / CNN