Novak Djokovic, the world’s No. 1-rated men’s tennis participant, traveled all working day Wednesday from Dubai to Australia, a journey that was supposed to commence his defense of the Australian Open singles championship.
On Thursday, he was explained to he would need to have to depart the nation, adhering to a 10-hour standoff with federal government officers at a Melbourne airport, where by he was held in a place right away over the validity of his visa and queries about the proof supporting a clinical exemption from a coronavirus vaccine. The exemption was supposed to let Djokovic, a 20-time Grand Slam event winner and one particular of the most important stars in sports, to contend in the Australian Open up even while he has not been vaccinated.
Djokovic did not quickly go away the place, and his group filed a lawful obstacle to the ruling on Thursday. A decide mentioned Djokovic would be permitted to remain in Australia at least right up until Monday as his legal professionals awaited a listening to. A spokesman for the tennis star did not straight away answer to requests for comment.
The chain of activities represented a startling turnabout for Djokovic, who in a little extra than 24 several hours went from acquiring unique, past-minute permission to enjoy in the Open up, to boarding an intercontinental flight, to fundamentally staying informed by the primary minister of Australia that he was not welcome in the region.
At a single position President Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia even received associated, speaking with Djokovic and criticizing the Australian authorities for its therapy of his country’s most important sports star.
The pandemic has wreaked all way of havoc with sporting activities throughout the past two yrs. The Tokyo Summer season Olympics had been postponed for a 12 months. Major