Novak Djokovic was banned from Australian Open after being banned from entering the country

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Novak Djokovic’s Australian Open hopes appear to be in tatters as he has been sensationally banned from entering the country.

Arriving in Melbourne, the champion was told nine times that he could not enter due to issues with his visa and evidence to support his vaccine exemption.

A statement from Australian border forces said: “Mr. Djokovic failed to provide adequate evidence to meet the requirements for entry into Australia, and his visa was subsequently revoked.”

He added that “non-nationals whose visas have been canceled will be detained and deported from Australia.”

Djokovic, who had been held at the city’s airport for more than eight hours while the case was under investigation, quickly challenged the ruling in court.

Novak Djokovic kicked out of Australian Open after country ruled him out

However, that should only be heard when he returns to Europe. He was taken to a hotel in suburban Melbourne in hopes of being put on a return flight on Thursday.

Speaking about the situation, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Djokovic does not have an exemption to visit the country.

At a press conference, Morrison thanked border force officers “for doing their job in implementing government policies” and noted that entry into Australia “requires double vaccination or medical exemption” .

“I am aware that such an exemption was not in place and therefore he is subject to the same rule as anyone else,” Morrison told reporters.

“I also want to stress that at the end of the day it’s the traveller’s responsibility. It is up to the traveler to be able to assert and safeguard their ability to enter the country in accordance with our laws.

“It’s nothing about an individual, it’s just about following the rules, and so these processes will take their course, over the next few hours, and this event will unfold as it should.”

Morrison also tweeted: “Mr. Djokovic’s visa has been canceled. Rules are rules, especially when it comes to our borders. No one is above those rules.

“Our strict border policies have been essential for Australia to have one of the lowest death rates from Covid. We continue to be vigilant.

Djokovic is the defending champion and has won the Melbourne-based tournament nine times

Djokovic is the defending champion and has won the Melbourne-based tournament nine times

With heightened feelings, Djokovic’s father, Srdjan, accused Australian authorities of “holding my son captive” before the decision was finally made. Even Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic got involved, phoning the country’s leading sports star to express his solidarity.

Separated from his support team and coach, former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic, he was barred from passing passport control after arriving via the Middle East.

Assuming the deportation order was upheld, the world No.1 would have spent less than 24 hours in the country, instead of his usual extended stay which so often ended in victory for the title.

Djokovic has since updated his schedule on his official website, removing the Australian Open.

The known vaccine-skeptic Djokovic stirred local opinion Tuesday by finally revealing that he would leave for Australia, after obtaining a controversial medical exemption from being piped against Covid.

Djokovic's father, Srdjan, accused Australian authorities of

Djokovic’s father Srdjan accused Australian authorities of “holding my son captive” before decision was finally made to deny entry of world number 1 into the country

Politicians including Prime Minister Morrison responded with a flurry of briefings and he was detained after discrepancies emerged between his documents and the type of visa he requested.

The 34-year-old Serb, who had headed south in search of a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam title, saw his troubles begin as he was in the air between Dubai and Melbourne.

It appears that a discrepancy was found between the visa he possessed and the documentation that had been provided to substantiate his non-vaccination case. A member of his staff had applied for the wrong permit for someone asking for an exemption.

While there has been a lack of transparency throughout the saga, with medical secrecy cited, what is clear is that Australian politicians woke up on Wednesday to discern the level of public concern over her. situation.

A political flipper ensued between Tennis Australia, the Government of Victoria, the National Government and the Border Force authorities.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison decided to deny Djokovic entry to Australia after several briefings

Prime Minister Scott Morrison decided to deny Djokovic entry to Australia after several briefings

Admittedly, none of them wanted to be associated with a decision to give the player free entry to a country so worn down by Covid’s long-term restrictions.

His flight touched down in Melbourne shortly after 11 p.m. and he was taken to a room on his own. His father, Srdjan, told the conditions in which he was detained on Belgrade TV station B92: “Novak is currently in a room where no one can enter. In front of the room, there are two policemen, â€he said.

The world number 1 is also said to have had his phone confiscated while officials verified the provenance of his proof of exemption in the middle of the night.

The hubbub has gone to the top of the national government, with Prime Minister Morrison saying earlier: “If medical exemptions have been provided by professionals and this has been provided to him as a condition for him to get on that plane, well , that must pile up when he gets to Australia.There should be no special rules for Novak Djokovic.

Acting Victoria State Sports and Tourism Minister Jaala Pulford hinted at the complexity of the issue, posting on social media: “The federal (national) government has asked if we will support the request of Novak Djokovic’s visa to enter Australia. We will not be providing Novak Djokovic with individual assistance with visa applications to participate in the Australian Open 2022. We have always been clear on two points: the approval of visas are the responsibility of the federal (national) government and medical exemptions are the responsibility of physicians.

Another headache for the tournament is how this might affect other lower profile players and support staff who have received similar exemptions. Tennis Australia supremo Craig Tiley said there were 26 nominations, but only a handful had been granted by two independent medical panels, one of them being Djokovic.

Sources close to Tennis Australia said on Wednesday evening that three other players or support staff passed under the same conditions as Djokovic, but were not barred from entering the country.

Disparities emerged between Djokovic's documents and the type of visa he requested

Disparities emerged between Djokovic’s documents and the type of visa he requested

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