Novak Djokovic may not be able to set foot in Australia again anytime soon. The world number 1 left the country on Sunday, just hours after the decision of the Australian Federal Court to reject his appeal against the cancellation of his visa and finds himself inadmissible for three years. His participation in Roland-Garros next May is also seriously compromised.
In Australia, anyone who sees their visa canceled is prohibited from entering the territory for a period of three years. This is now the case for the Serb, who was asked to pack up after ten days of a case that shook the world of tennis. With this decision, the 37-year-old nine-time Australian Open winner may have seen his last hopes of winning a 10th title in Melbourne vanish.
Because, as from the beginning, the Australian government wants to be intransigent. “The cancellation of his visa has been upheld by the Federal Court, which means that he will be banned from entering the country for three years,” confirmed the Minister of Home Affairs in an interview with Today. Show on Monday.
But the door would not be completely closed. “There is a possibility of returning, in certain circumstances, which will have to be considered in due course,” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told Sydney 2GB radio. But he will nevertheless have to meet the requirements of the country and provide the necessary documents in this period of a pandemic.
In the meantime, he also risks not being able to participate in the other three Grand Slam tournaments this season, and in particular Roland-Garros. The day after his expulsion from Australia, the French authorities indicated that any athlete coming from abroad must be vaccinated to compete in France. A new setback for Novak Djokovic who sees the rest of his career more than ever dotted…