Djokovic to be deported, Australia cancels visa

(Patria) - The Australian government has cancelled Novak Djokovic's visa, so the Serbian tennis player, as things stand, will be deported to Serbia, Reuters reported, citing a source close to the Australian Open, the tournament in which Djokovic was supposed to compete.

The world's number one tennis player, who came to Melbourne with the aim of winning his 21st Grand Slam title, has appealed this decision, but his father Srdjan announced in the evening that Novak would be deported.

“Deportation. They are not letting him into this horror! Our pride, our Novak, is returning,” Srdjan Djokovic announced.

Djokovic arrived in Melbourne after receiving a “medical exemption”, which does not require proof of vaccination, but he remained stuck at the airport for hours, after it turned out that the visa he applied for to enter Australia did not relate to medical exemptions.

Because of this, the authorities of the Australian federal state of Victoria, to which Melbourne belongs, announced that they would not support Djokovic's request, and forwarded the problem to the federal government and Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

The unusual move by the Australian authorities to block Djokovic's entry into the country due to an error on the visa form threatened to cause a diplomatic incident between Canberra and Belgrade, Reuters writes.

“I just finished a conversation with Novak Djokovic,” said Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.

“I told Novak that the whole of Serbia is with him and that we are doing everything we can to immediately stop the mistreatment of the world's best tennis player. Serbia will fight for Novak, truth, and justice,” he added.

Vučić asked the Australian ambassador in Belgrade for Novak to be released immediately.