Novaka Djokovic, who flew to the Australian Open, was not allowed into Australia due to the refusal of vaccination

Now the first racket of the world is waiting for deportation at the hotel for refugees

Australia authorities refused to enter the 34-year-old tennis player Novak Jokovic , who flew to participate in the Australian Open, the first Bolshoi helmet tournament in the calendar year. Earlier, the athlete said that in order of exception received permission to participate in the tournament without vaccination from Covid, although only people with a full course of vaccinations are allowed into the country.

The organizers of the Tennis Australia tournament, in turn, confirmed that the Serbian athlete was provided with medical release from two independent commissions - the organization and the state of Victoria, where the competitions are held. The organizers did not reveal the details of the statement by Jokovic, so the exact reason why he asked for exclusion is unknown.

News about exclusion for Djokovic caused a large public resonance in Australia, where more recently , some of the most stringent restrictions because of Covid, including crossing the border. 90% of people in the country are vaccinated. As BBC News notes , many Australians accused the government of allowing the rich and famous to neglect the rules, while ordinary people cannot visit their loved ones who need care.

Late in the evening of January 5, Djokovic was detained at passport control at the Melbourne airport. Members of the Tennis player team made an error when submitting documents, requesting a type of visa that does not apply to those who received a medical discharge from coronavirus, wrote The Times. The mistake was noticed when the athlete has already made a 14-hour flight from Dubai to Melbourne.

All night, Djokovic tried to prove to the border guards that he had the right to enter, the Associated Press notes . On the morning of January 6, the border service announced that the athlete’s visa was canceled because he “did not provide the proper evidence necessary for entry.”

Commenting on a tennis player visa, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison explained that Jokovic could not provide justifications for a honey carrier from vaccination, and noted that the rules for everyone crossing the borders of Australia are the same. “No one is above these rules. Our strict border policy is crucial for Australia, where the mortality rate from Covid is one of the lowest in the world, ”he wrote on Twitter.

At the same time, earlier, as the Russian BBC Service noted , the prime minister, on the one hand, stated that the federal government leaves a decision to admit Jokovic at the discretion of Victoria. On the other hand, that a Serbian athlete can refuse to enter Australia without vaccination if he does not prove that he has good reason for such an exception.

Morrison also noted that border guards could pay special attention to Jokovic's documents after the athlete's public statements. Earlier, Djokovic opposed the compulsory vaccination from Covid, and also refused to publicly reveal whether he was vaccinated or not.

Now Djokovic is facing a deportation, but he will remain in the country at least on January 10. On this day, the federal court will consider the athlete’s complaint about the decision of the Australian government to cancel his visa. So far, according to the court decision, the tennis player is forbidden to expel from the country.

As expected, the next days the tennis player will live in a hotel for refugees and migrants in Melbourne, where he was placed after the detention at the border and where he had already spent one day.

Serbia President Alexander Vuchich announced the “unjust political persecution” of Jokovic, in which, in particular, the Australian prime minister participates. “I am afraid that this political mockery of Novak Jokovic will continue <...> When you cannot win someone, you begin to do such things,” said the Serbian president. Morrison denies these accusations.

The opening championship of Australia will be held from January 17 to 30 in Melbourne. Before the court’s decision, it remains unclear whether Djokovic can take part in it.