Wednesday, January 05, 2022
Update
Star is stuck at the airport
Australia refuses entry to Djokovic
The allegedly unvaccinated tennis superstar Novak Djokovic travels to the Australian Open – and fails at the first hurdle. He is said to have a visa with a waiver, but is refused entry at Melbourne Airport. Now the world number one is stuck there.
Novak Djokovic is apparently stuck in the middle of the night (local time) at the airport in Melbourne, Australia. Several media in the country report this unanimously. The number one in the tennis world is said to have tried to enter with a visa that does not allow medical exemptions for unvaccinated people. The state government of Victoria even rejected a late request from the tennis professional hours before he landed in Melbourne for support for the world’s number one visa. The Serb is an avowed vaccination skeptic and does not provide any information about his vaccination status.
Only tennis players who have been vaccinated or who have received a visa with a medical exemption are allowed to enter the Australian Open in Melbourne. Djokovic wrote on Instagram on Tuesday that he was about to travel to Australia with such a special permit. With that, he had ended months of speculation about his participation almost two weeks before the start of the first Grand Slam tournament of the tennis season.
Now, according to the Australian media, the world number one landed in Melbourne at 11.30 p.m. local time, but an obviously invalid exception visa cast doubt on Djokovic’s entry into Australia. Earlier this evening, Australian time, the Australian Border Protection Agency reportedly contacted the state government after learning of a problem with the visa submitted by Djokovic’s team. The 20-time Grand Slam winner is unvaccinated and has tried to enter on a visa that does not allow medical exemptions, a source familiar with the matter told The Age and The Herald newspapers.
“Will not support Novak Djokovic”
As a result, the border guard is said to have asked the government of Victoria for assistance in order to facilitate the entry of the tennis professional. State officials reportedly asked federal agencies to put their request in writing and eventually turned down the request for assistance. This decision reflects the anger of many politicians and citizens in the country that Djokovic had caused with his entry announcement. At the moment it is unclear whether Djokovic will be asked to return home or whether he will still be granted entry.
Victoria State Sports Minister Jaala Pulford wrote in two tweets: “The government asked us if we support Novak Djokovic’s visa application. We will support Novak Djokovic with his individual visa application to participate in the Australian Open, not support.” Two points have always been clearly communicated in Victoria: “Visa approvals are always a matter for the government. And medical exceptions are a matter for the doctors.”
Prime Minister Scott Morrison had previously requested sufficient evidence for Djokovic’s exemption. “He has to do that because if he is not vaccinated, he must provide acceptable evidence that he cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons in order to have access to the same travel rules as fully vaccinated travelers,” said Morrison. Otherwise the 34-year-old superstar from Serbia will be “on the first plane home,” warned Morrison. Home Secretary Karen Andrews had said in a statement that “anyone wishing to enter Australia must adhere to our strict border controls”. No person competing in the Australian Open would “receive special treatment”.