Novak Djokovic has lost his attempt to overturn his deportation as three Federal Court judges have announced shortly before 6:00 pm local time that he will be required to leave Australia according to a unanimous decision and was ordered to pay the legal costs of the government. Djokovic will depart tonight on the 10:30 pm Emirates flight to Dubai. The decision finally allowed the Australian Open to proceed with a degree of clean air.
AUSTRALIAN OPEN MOVES ON from Djokovic since the final court decision was made, leading tennis figures expressed their disappointment with the saga and how it had damaged the Melbourne major. Djokovic was replaced by Salvatore Caruso, an Italian who is ranked 150th and faces Kecmanovic to play the Australian Open on Monday in Melbourne.
YESTERDAY’S INTERVIEW Novak Djokovic finished his interview with immigration officers at an undisclosed location at 8:00 am local time on Saturday in Melbourne then has been detained by Border Force at another undisclosed location for safety reasons and he has attended the Federal Court hearing online – which was overseen by Judge David O’Callaghan at his solicitors’ office Sunday 10:15 AM local time.
IN STATE CUSTODY He has been detained by Border Force following a court-ordered arrangement, that was agreed on Friday. With the government labelling the 34-year-old ‘A threat to public interest’. His lawyers appealed for a second time and lost the case against what they called an “irrational” judgement.
SERBIAN PRESIDENT CALLS NOVAK Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told Serbian media he had spoken to Novak Djokovic after the court ruling and gave him support: “I told him I cannot wait for him to come to Serbia, to return to his country, to be where he is always welcomed.” In a four-minute video posted to Instagram titled “Support for Novak Djokovic and response to the Prime Minister of Australia”, President Aleksandar Vučić said it was impossible for him not to make a statement about the situation due to the attacks and pressure being placed on the Serb tennis star.
BELGRADE WELCOMES EVERYONE “If you wanted to forbid Novak Djokovic to win the Australian Open for the 10th time, why didn’t you return him immediately, why didn’t you tell him that it was impossible to get a visa?” – “Why do you harass him, why do you mistreat him, as well as his family and a nation that is free and proud?” President Vučić said in a clip published on his Instagram.
Mr Vucic said Australian athletes would be welcomed in a much better way in Serbia at Belgrade World Athletics Indoor Championship 2022 event in March “and we won’t mistreat them due to elections or pleasing the public.“
Source: AIPS