MELBOURNE, Australia — Tennis superstar
Novak Djokovic trained at the
Australian Open venue
Tuesday for his attempt to win a record 21st Grand Slam but his dream hung in
the balance as the government pondered cancelling his visa, again.
اضافة اعلان
The world number
one had scored a surprise courtroom victory the day before, overturning the
Australian government’s decision to cancel his visa on COVID-19 vaccination
grounds.
But the
immigration minister said he may annul Djokovic’s visa once more.
The unvaccinated
34-year-old Serbian ace says he is now determined to stay in Melbourne and
compete in the Australian Open, which starts in six days.
“I flew here to
play at one of the most important events we have in front of the amazing fans,”
Djokovic said on Instagram Monday.
Wearing a
t-shirt and shorts, he limbered up in a gym on Tuesday accompanied by coach
Goran Ivanisevic before heading to centre court, AFP journalists saw.
Television
cameras filmed him from helicopters as he played.
Djokovic, a
nine-time Australian Open champion, jetted into the country six days ago
carrying a medical exemption from vaccination due to a positive coronavirus
test on December 16 last year.
After overnight
questioning at Melbourne airport, border officials decided the exemption was not
valid, cancelled his visa and transferred him to a detention center pending
deportation.
“I am not
vaccinated,” Djokovic had told the border official, according to a transcript
released by the court.
‘Biggest victory’
He expressed bewilderment that his exemption, approved by two medical
panels in Australia, was not accepted.
The limited
number of foreigners allowed into Australia must be fully vaccinated or have a
medical exemption.
The government
insists that a recent infection does not count as an exemption.
Federal circuit
court judge Anthony Kelly dramatically reversed the visa decision Monday,
ordering the cancellation be “quashed”, that the player be released immediately
and that the government pay his legal costs.
The government
had surrendered after conceding that Djokovic’s airport interview was
“unreasonable” because the player had not been given the promised time to
respond.
It was “the
biggest victory in his career, bigger than all his Grand Slams”, his mother
Dijana said at a press conference in Belgrade.
“Truth and
justice came to the light. I would like to thank the justice system of
Australia,” said his brother Djordje.
Much of
Australia’s media said Tuesday doubts had emerged over the accuracy of
Djokovic’s travel declaration, reportedly filled out before he flew in from
Spain.
A copy of his
declaration showed a tick in the box to confirm he had not and would not travel
in the 14 days before landing in Australia on January 5.
But the player
had reportedly been in Serbia before Spain.
A spokesman for
Immigration Minister Alex Hawke said he was “considering whether to cancel Mr.
Djokovic’s visa” by using his ministerial powers. But he would not comment
further for legal reasons.
‘Free Novak’
As Djokovic practiced in Melbourne Park, some fans said he should be
allowed to play.
“I can imagine
some people will be pretty angry about it,” said 22-year-old fan Harrison
Denicolo.
“All I know is
he came here, and then we turned him back when he got here. So, it’s kind of
unfair.”
Ofek Dvir Ovadia,
22, said he was excited to see Djokovic play in the Australian Open.
“He will cop a
fair bit of abuse, I reckon, when he plays just from the fans in general, but I
hope a few people get behind him,” he said.
Until Monday,
Djokovic had been held at the former Park Hotel, a five-storey detention
facility, which holds about 32 migrants trapped in Australia’s hardline
immigration system — some for many years.
Hundreds of
Djokovic fans, anti-vaccination protesters and migration rights activists had
rallied outside the center during his stay.
On Tuesday
morning, there were just two television reporters outside and no protesters.
A lone cardboard
sign read: “Free Novak and all the refugees”.
The ATP, which runs the men’s tennis tour, said the
affair leading up to the court case had been “damaging on all fronts, including
for Novak’s well-being and preparation for the Australian Open”.
‘Let him play’
Rafael Nadal, one of Djokovic’s main rivals for the title, said “it is
the fairest thing” for the Serbian to play in the Australian Open.
Tennis great
Martina Navratilova said on social media: “Though I disagree with not getting
vaccinated; at the end of the day it seems Novak did play by the rules as they
were for the exemption and was burned. Let him play.”
Although it had
no bearing on his court case, Djokovic’s claim of a positive test on December
16 stirred controversy after it emerged he had attended a gathering that day
for the Serbian national postal service, which launched a stamp series in his
honour.
And pictures
shared by the Belgrade tennis federation showed him at a young players’ event
in the city on December 17.
It was reported that he
handed over cups and prizes to players. No one was wearing a mask.
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