MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic’s hopes of enjoying on the Australian Open had been dashed Sunday after a court docket dismissed the top-ranked tennis star’s attraction in opposition to a deportation order.
Three Federal Court docket judges upheld a call made on Friday by the immigration minister to cancel the 34-year-old Serb’s visa on public curiosity grounds.
The choice possible signifies that Djokovic, who will not be vaccinated in opposition to COVID-19, will stay in detention in Melbourne till he’s deported.
A deportation order normally additionally features a three-year ban on returning to Australia.
The minister cancelled the visa on the grounds that Djokovic’s presence in Australia could also be a danger to the well being and “good order” of the Australian public and “could also be counterproductive to efforts at vaccination by others in Australia.”
Djokovic’s visa was initially cancelled on Jan. 6 at Melbourne’s airport hours after he arrived to compete within the first Grand Slam of 2022.
A border official cancelled his visa after deciding Djokovic didn’t qualify for a medical exemption from Australia’s guidelines for unvaccinated guests.
