A stale taste remains.

And yet the decision to withdraw Novak Djokovic's Australian visa was correct.

If the border guards in Melbourne had worked properly a week ago on Thursday, the Serb would never have been allowed to enter the country.

What the world public then entertained for eleven days was a drama that everyone would have liked to have spared themselves.

Who is to blame? First of all, the Australian politicians, authorities and institutions, who designed their immigration policy so badly that they themselves did not know which rules apply to whom and when. The tennis professionals became victims of the hopeless overwhelm caused by the pandemic, which all governments are suffering. Whoever wins the Australian Open cannot have beaten defending champion Djokovic - because he has to watch.

The Serb is therefore not a victim at all. Nothing was right in his attempt to win his tenth title in Australia. As an observer of the affair, one is appalled at how poorly advised a sports multi-millionaire can be: a family that antagonizes everyone with its drooling comments instead of trying to solicit sympathy. An athlete who accuses his "agent" of incorrectly filling out the visa form for which he is liable.

A world star who gets himself into trouble because he blows out the stupidest comments on social networks. Who doesn't care if he infects others. And then has the chutzpah to call out to a people whose hospitality he asked for in their dark hour that mistakes happen when there is a mood of crisis. Djokovic will suffer from his performance in Melbourne for a long time and in many places around the world.

The 34-year-old would have had a way out. At the latest after his misconduct became public at the beginning of the week on several levels, the Serb should have packed up his racket, apologized to the Australians and promised his return next year. Such a departure from Melbourne in these times would have brought the top athlete recognition around the world, polished his reputation for a long time and arguably also boosted his income from advertising deals to new heights.

Responsibility, moral behavior bring face value today.

Maybe his nationalist clan pushed him in the wrong direction, maybe his lawyers, who became known through the two negotiations, pushed him in the wrong direction.

Perhaps it was the exaggerated lone fighter morale that prevented the athlete from realizing that his back was against the wall.

Either way, tennis player Djokovic lost a lot in Melbourne, Djokovic the person suffered a lot.

This is particularly bitter because the - still - world's best player had a much easier way out many months earlier: he should have been vaccinated.

As did 93 percent of Australians.

The winner is, and this is important in times of "aluminium hats", the rule of law.

Australian judges did an outstanding job twice.

You spoke right.

This is exactly what they are needed for in challenging times.