INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 07: Novak Djokovic of Serbia fields questions from the media during a press conference at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 07, 2019 in Indian Wells, California. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)Earlier this week, Novak Djokovic arrived at Melbourne Airport in preparation for this year’s Australian Open. His arrival at the airport ended up being a disaster, as Djokovic’s visa was rejected.
“Novak Djokovic’s visa has been cancelled. He’s been told to leave the country today, two sources confirmed to The Age. His Lawyers are in the process of appealing. He’s not demonstrated to Border Force sufficient evidence for his exemption,” Paul Sakkal of The Age reported.
The reason Djokovic’s visa was rejected was because it didn’t meet Australia’s requirement that all non-citizens must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Prior to his arrival, however, Djokovic told the world that he received a medical exemption.
On Saturday, the sports world received some additional information on this bizarre situation. Djokovic’s lawyers said in a court filing that their client received written clearance from Australia’s immigration department because he tested positive for COVID-19 in December.
If Djokovic did test positive in December, that changes this entire situation.
Novak Djokovic says he tested positive for COVID-19 in December, has natural immunity, should've been allowed in Australia. https://t.co/FtmFU9YafQ
— TMZ (@TMZ) January 8, 2022
Australian Prime Minster Scott Morrison recently said that he’d look into this situation. He even posted a strong message on Twitter that was directed at Djokovic.
“Mr Djokovic’s visa has been cancelled,” Morrison said. “Rules are rules, especially when it comes to our borders. No one is above these rules. Our strong border policies have been critical to Australia having one of the lowest death rates in the world from COVID, we are continuing to be vigilant.”
We’ll see if this situation can get sorted out before the actual tournament begins.
