On Sunday, January 16, the scandal surrounding Novak Djokovic's visit to Australia came to an end.
Serb fans hoped to the end that the Federal District Court in Melbourne would satisfy his appeal and cancel the decision of the Minister of Immigration of the country to re-annul the visa, but this did not happen.
Compatriots living in the city were on duty at the courthouse in the morning and supported the tennis player with songs in anticipation of good news.
Djokovic himself watched the meeting from the office of his lawyers, where he was taken on Friday by border guards.
If at the beginning of the week the court took the side of the athlete and declared the cancellation of his visa illegal, this time he supported the local authorities.
A panel of three decided to reject the petition, and also ordered the first racket of the world to pay all legal costs.
It was decided that Djokovic would be deported and banned from entering Australia for three years.
The tennis player himself, after the meeting, seemed to be not so much upset as exhausted.
It was felt that almost two weeks of fighting for the right to play in the Australian Open took a lot of his strength.
“I respect the decision of the court and will cooperate with the authorities regarding my departure from Australia.
It’s embarrassing that in recent weeks the attention has been riveted on me, and I hope now we can focus on the game and the championship that I love, ”said the athlete.
In turn, Immigration Minister Alex Hawke, who annulled the visa, welcomed the court's decision.
According to him, it was the policy of strict border security that protected Australia during the coronavirus pandemic and helped to achieve one of the lowest death rates from COVID-19 in the world.
“Australians have sacrificed a lot to make this happen and the Morrison government is determined to protect that position, which is what the people of Australia expect from it.
Approximately 43 million doses of the vaccine have been administered in Australia so far, and more than 91.6% of the population 16 years of age and older are fully vaccinated.
In this regard, thanks to the success of the vaccination program, Australia was able to begin a gradual and safe process of opening its international borders,” the politician emphasized.
Judging by the documents presented in court, Hawke insisted that the Serb's arrival popularized anti-vaccination sentiments in the country, since there were many questions about his obtaining a medical exemption from vaccination.
This allegedly can lead to an increase in morbidity and an increase in the burden on the healthcare system.
Supported the verdict of the court and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
He noted that the decision was made based on health, safety and law enforcement considerations.
“I fully support the decision to protect the border and ensure the safety of the people of our country,” Morrison said.
However, according to the representative of the Union of Australian Lawyers Greg Barnes, Djokovic did not come at all to spread anti-vaxxer views, but to play tennis, and therefore it would be wrong to ban him from entering.
“While we understand the importance of public health, it is dangerous in a democracy to deny entry to a person because their views are at odds with government policy. Especially if he comes to the country for a purpose that has nothing to do with these views, ”Barnes emphasized.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic spoke much harsher, saying that Djokovic had been bullied for 11 days and eventually delivered the same verdict as the first time. He also called a lie the words of the lawyer of the Minister of Immigration, Stephen Lloyd, that less than half of the population in his country was vaccinated. According to the politician, the official figure is 58%.
Novak was also supported in the ATP, where he was named one of the greatest champions in history. However, the federation urged tennis players to get vaccinated.
“His absence will be a loss for the Australian Open.
We know how hectic Novak's last days have been and how much he wanted to defend his title in Melbourne.
We wish him all the best and look forward to his return to the court in the near future, ”the federation said on the official website.
In turn, the Australian Tennis Federation stressed that they respect the verdict of the Federal Court.
And the Serbian Tennis Union expressed disappointment in connection with the decision: "Politics won the sport this time."
One way or another, the organizers of the Australian Open were prepared for the fact that the Serb would not be able to play in the tournament.
According to the plan, if his deportation had become known before the publication of the schedule of matches of the first competitive day, Andrey Rublev, who ranks fifth in the ATP ranking, would have taken the place of the veteran in the grid.
However, since the court announced the decision at the last moment, this right was given to the 150th racket of the planet Salvatore Caruso, who took the first line in the list of lucky losers.
Removal of an opponent can go into the hands of Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev, who, in case of a successful performance, have the opportunity to remove Djokovic from the top of the rating.
Novak's colleagues mostly expressed words of support for him.
For example, Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios, who has repeatedly acted on the side of an opponent in a scandal with the annulment of his visa, posted an emoji of a man holding his face (facepalm) on Twitter.
Frenchwoman Alize Cornet recalled that the Serb always stood up for the players, but no one supported him in this situation.
And the Canadian Vasek Pospisil, who founded the PTPA Tennis Association together with Djokovic, recalled that the Australian authorities initially agreed to provide the athlete with a medical exemption.
“In this situation, a political calculation was clearly visible on the eve of the elections, this is quite obvious.
It's not his fault.
He did not force his way into the country and did not “set his own rules”, he was ready to stay at home, ”Pospisil wrote.