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On January 16, Beijing time, Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic's "visa case" was heard in the Australian Federal Court, and the three judges unanimously ruled that Djokovic's appeal failed and his visa would not be reinstated, which also means that as the defending champion of the Australian Open, he will not be able to participate in the 2022 Australian Open, which opens on January 17.
After the Australian Federal Court announced its decision upholding Djokovic's visa application, the Serb issued a brief written statement. He said in a statement: "I am extremely disappointed by the decision of the Australian court and I will respect the court's decision and will work with the relevant authorities to leave Australia." According to the latest pictures circulating on the Internet, shortly after the trial, Djokovic, who was expelled by the Australian government, boarded a plane and left this "sad place".
Djokovic's statement
Having never been vaccinated against COVID-19, Djokovic did not meet the Australian government's conditions for participation in sporting events, and there were procedural loopholes in his application for a medical exemption. Government lawyers said Djokovic was granted a medical exemption on the grounds that he contracted the coronavirus on December 16, 2021, but he could have completed the vaccination before then. In addition, according to australian media reports from CNN, Djokovic also concealed his trip for the past 14 days when he entered Australia. Deyo had been to Marbella, Spain, 4 days before arriving in Australia, but denied that he had traveled to Australia when he filled out a "travel statement". It is reported that the hearing lasted more than 4 hours, during which Djokovic's lawyer made a lot of comments about "Djokovic is not an anti-vaccine person", emphasizing that his evaluation of the vaccine came from before the advent of the vaccine. At the same time, it said there was no evidence that "Deyo's participation in the Australian Open will fuel anti-vaccine sentiment in Australia". But lawyers for the Australian government say Djokovic is influential and an icon for many, and "his continued participation in the Australian Open will make some Australians more resistant to vaccinations". In the end, Djokovic was ruled out of the Australian Federal Court and missed the 2022 Australian Open.
Fast forward to January 4, the same day that Djokovic announced on his personal social media that he had received a medical exemption from the Australian side and would leave for the Australian Open. However, on January 5, he was detained on his arrival at Melbourne Airport, where border agents believed he had failed to adequately prove that he could enter the country without vaccination and took him to a temporary quarantine hotel, and his visa was cancelled for the first time. Djokovic then chose to appeal, and in documents filed in federal court, Djokovic's lawyers said he contracted COVID-19 last December, which was the basis for his application for exemption. The court ruled on January 10, Djokovic won the case, the validity of the visa was restored, and he left the hotel and began training at Melbourne Park for the upcoming Australian Open on January 17. However, after considering the evidence provided by Djokovic's lawyers and the recommendations of the Australian Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Border Service, Australian Immigration Minister Alex M. Hawke used his minister's "discretion" to cancel Djokovic's visa again. Hawke's reason for canceling his visa was that Djokovic's presence in Australia could pose a threat to the health of the Australian public and "good order" and "could be counterproductive to the vaccination efforts of others in Australia". In this regard, Xiaode appealed again, but this time he failed to get the desired result.
On Jan. 10, Djokovic celebrated his "lifting of the ban" on his personal social media.
Djokovic's visa incident has led to the participation of many politicians because of its huge influence. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison issued a written statement saying he welcomed the federal court's decision. Morrison said in a statement that the federal court's decision was made out of health, safety and the maintenance of good order, and that the decision was also in the public interest, and the decision was welcomed. And Serbian President Aleksandr Aleksandr Vucic said: "If you don't want him to come, why don't you make a decision right away, why don't you tell him in the first place that you can't give him a visa?" Is this Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison trying to win the election? Is this to increase popular support? This is not only a persecution of Djokovic and his family, but also an attack on Serbia as a whole. ”
President Vucic of Serbia
At the pre-Australian Open press conference, Nadal expressed support for the Australian government's decision. "It's clear that Djokovic is one of the best players in history, but no player in history is more important, not even Federer, Djokovic and me. If in the end Djokovic can compete, it is very good, if he can't play, the Australian Open is still a great Australian Open, this is my personal opinion. If there is a solution, it is vaccination. For the sake of all, for the health of tennis, we need to be vaccinated and need to make a difference in the current epidemic. ”
It is worth mentioning that before the judge's ruling was released, the Australian Open had already released the first day's schedule. Top seed Djokovic was scheduled to play at the Australian Open Centre Court next Monday (17 January) against Keitzmanovic, also from Serbia. However, now that he is no longer able to participate in this match, Deyo's australian Open seat will be replaced by qualifier Caruso. As the 20th Grand Slam champion and the defending champion of the Australian Open men's singles, Djokovic was expected to hit the "Australian Open Ten Champions" and "the first person in grand slam number history" at this Australian Open. Currently, Djokovic and The Swiss King Roger Federer and Spanish star Rafa Nadal tied for first place in Grand Slam number history. However, he is now unable to achieve both feats, and under the relevant provisions of Australian immigration law, Djokovic may not be able to enter Australia for the next three years.
A few months ago, Djokovic made it clear that he would not release details of whether he would be vaccinated against COVID-19. Since then, he has been negotiating a medical exemption privately with the Australian Open organising committee, which has also led to increasing antagonism among the Australian media and the public. As the biggest favorite to win the Australian Open, now, Djokovic has to leave Melbourne, I don't know if he will regret his original decision, and after being deported by the Australian government, the 35-year-old Serb will have a chance to win the tenth Australian Open title of his career in the future?