It was a predictable controversy, it became a case of Australia and ended poorly. Novak Djokovic will miss the Australian Open after the country’s authorities denied him a visa yesterday. The tennis player was ordered to be deported and miss the opportunity to try to win his 10th match in Melbourne and take off Nadal and Federer as the player with the most Grand Slam wins. At the time of closing this release, the Australian press reported that the player’s lawyers would attempt to overturn the decision through an appeal.
A story with all the features of a TV series. After all the controversy over not being vaccinated, the tennis player landed yesterday at Tullamarine Airport, and a visa issue left the tennis player on the spot for several hours.
According to The Age, the situation would only delay entry into the country, but according to the tennis player’s father, Serjan Djokovic, the son was locked in a room with two policemen at the door, without a mobile phone and unable to. Contact the team that followed until the authorities decided. The reason that led to the activation of the highest diplomatic bodies. The Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Australian ambassador in Belgrade to clarify and demand the release of the number 1 in the world, while the Serbian ambassador to Australia did the same. Hours later, the verdict arrived: Australian authorities refused the visa.
The tennis player got exemption from covid-19 vaccination to enter Australia and play in Melbourne, but everyone who filled out the visa application forgot those little details. For this reason, when Djokovic arrived in Melbourne around 23:00 (midday in Lisbon), he was detained at the airport, presumably because the visa requested did not include such a medical exemption. The nine-time Australian Open winner will not fill out the correct form for the type of visa they are applying for – a work visa.
As soon as it was learned that border authorities had allowed Djokovic to land, Victoria’s sports minister warned that this did not mean the player would enter Melbourne or play in the tournament.
Gala tweeted Polford, who wrote on Twitter: “The Federal Government has questioned whether we will support Novak Djokovic’s application for a visa. We will not. We have always said that visas are a matter of government responsibility and medical exceptions are the responsibility of doctors.” Wednesday Rafael Nadal wanted to win the Open match.
Why medical exemption?
In as much as the Minister of Health, Minister of Sports of Victoria and Australian Prime Minister, as Tennis Australia (organizer of the Australian Open), says that “Djokovic did not receive special treatment”, it is difficult to understand the medical exception.
In defense of the world number one, it must be said that the process was anonymous and no one knew it was Djokovic. The tennis player, known as an anti-vaccination player, managed to convince two independent medical teams – without knowing the identity of the applicant – that he had good reason not to get vaccinated. According to The Age, the explanation given is that he “has contracted covid-19 in the past six months”, which is not yet known. But it ended up being conspired by visa.
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