The riverside city of Brisbane, capital of Queensland, eastern Australia — Novak DjokovicHis chances of playing for a 10th Australian Open title fell into limbo on Thursday when the nation denied his entry and canceled his visa because he did not meet the requirements to be eligible. exemption from the COVID-19 vaccination rules.
Top-ranked Djokovic announced on social media on Tuesday that he has “an exemption” and landed in Australia late on Wednesday after get medical exemption from the Victorian state government is expected to protect him from strict vaccination regulations in place for this year’s first major tennis tournament.
But the border authorities did not accept the waiver. The Australian Border Force issued a notice saying Djokovic did not meet the entry requirements.
“The rule is very clear,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said at a news conference on Thursday. “You need a medical exemption. He doesn’t have a valid medical exemption. We make the call at the border and that’s where it’s enforced.”
Djokovic’s lawyers have filed a challenge in Australia’s Federal Court against the cancellation of his visa but his hearing has been adjourned until Monday.
Health Minister Greg Hunt said the visa cancellation came after border officials reviewed Djokovic’s medical waiver, who reviewed the “integrity and evidence behind it.”
The president of Djokovic’s hometown of Serbia has denounced “harassment” of the star, who was detained overnight at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport. He was then transferred to a secure hotel near Melbourne’s city centre, which is controlled by immigration officials.
Nick Wood, Djokovic’s lawyer, told the judge Tennis Australia had advised them to know about his participation in the tournament on Tuesday. In response, Kelly said “the tail won’t wag the dog here.”
The Australian Open starts on January 17.
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corp., Kelly asked during the brief hearing whether Djokovic had “tennis practice facilities” in the hotel where he was being held, and if not, if he could be transferred to another place. had.
In one Posts on Twitter On Thursday, Morrison wrote, “No one is breaking these rules. Our strong border policies are crucial to Australia having the lowest mortality rate in the world from COVID, we are is continuing to be vigilant.”
Responding later to questions about confusion about the various state and federal requirements, Morrison said it was up to the individual traveler to provide the correct documentation upon arrival.
The Prime Minister rejected the suggestion that Djokovic be disqualified, but he acknowledged that other players could come to Australia under the same medical exemption.
“One of the things that Border Force does is they operate on intelligence to direct their attention to potential people coming,” he said. “When you catch people making public statements about what they say and will do, they draw considerable attention to themselves.”
Anyone who does that “whether they’re a celebrity, politician, tennis player… they can expect to be questioned more than anyone else before you arrive.”
The medical exemption, reviewed by two independent expert panels and based on information provided anonymously by the players and charged at face value, has been designed to allow Djokovic to compete in Australia. Open, regardless of his COVID-19 vaccination status.
He has spoken out against vaccines in the past and steadfastly refuses to admit whether he has received any shots against the coronavirus.
His father, Srdjan Djokovic, told internet portal B92 that his son was kept at the airport “in a room no one can enter” and guarded by two police officers.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic say on Instagram that he spoke to Djokovic while he was being held at the airport, before it was ruled that his visa had been revoked. Vucic said Serbian authorities are taking measures “so that the harassment of the world’s best tennis player is stopped as soon as possible.”
Morrison said he was aware that “the Serbian embassy in Canberra had raised representatives” and denied the harassment allegations.
“Australia has sovereign borders and clear rules that don’t discriminate,” Morrison said.
Serbian media reported that Vucic summoned the Australian ambassador in Belgrade and demanded that Djokovic be released and allowed to play.
Djokovic’s revelation on social media that he was going to Australia in search of his record 21st major title immediately became a hot political topic, with many Australians angry that he was exempted from entering the country. this. Critics question what grounds he might have for immunity, and supporters argue that he has privacy and freedom of choice.
Australian Open director Craig Tiley defended the “completely legal application and process” and insisted there was no special treatment for Djokovic.
The Victorian Government has required only fully vaccinated players, staff, fans and officials to enter Melbourne Park when the tournament begins.
Only 26 people associated with the league applied for a medical exemption and, Tiley said, only a “few” were granted. None of those players have been publicly identified.
Among acceptable reasons for an exemption are acute serious medical conditions, a serious adverse reaction to a previous dose of COVID-19 vaccine, or evidence of COVID-19 infection. within the previous six months. However, Morrison said on Thursday that Tennis Australia had been informed several months ago that a recent infection did not meet the criteria for an exemption.
Djokovic tested positive for coronavirus in June 2020 after he played in a series of exhibition matches he hosted in Serbia and Croatia without being socially alienated amid the pandemic.
Australia saw a day of spikes in COVID-19 and hospital admissions on Thursday amid fears that changes to testing requirements could mask the full scale of the outbreak. The nation reported 72,000 cases, up from 64,000 a day earlier, while hospital admissions rose to 3,267 from 2,990 and patients in intensive care rose to 208 from 196. Victoria recorded six deaths. deaths and 21,997 new cases, the largest daily increase in cases since the pandemic began.
Information from the Associated Press and Reuters was used in this report.
