TENNIS ace Novak Djokovic has finally been deported from Australia after losing his final appeal against the cancellation of his visa.
The World No 1 was pictured at Melbourne Airport after he was finally given the boot amid the humiliating vaccine row that has rumbled on for nearly two weeks.
The 34-year-old star boarded a mid-morning Emirates flight to Dubai on Sunday after his plans to chase a record 21st Grand Slam win at the Australian Open were torpedoed.
The flight capped a journey that began when Djokovic was first detained by immigration authorities on January 6, before he was ordered released by a court on January 10 and then detained again on Saturday..
He was left “extremely disappointed” after three judges unanimously dismissed his last-ditch appeal to stay Down Under and play.
The government deemed the athlete may be a risk to the health and “good order” of the Australian people while scuppering their vaccination efforts.
Djokovic pledge to “cooperate” with officials and willfully leave the country after officials argued he poses an “overwhelming risk” to the public.
They claim this was demonstrated by his decision to attend work events while infected with Covid.
The Serbian sports star said he felt “uncomfortable” with the recent media attention surrounding him, while government lawyers had dubbed him an “icon” for anti-vaxxers.
He admitted defeat after being formally detained and sent back to the Park hotel – said to be “full of fleas and maggots”– later announcing he would not be appealing the decision.
It was revealed Immigration Minister Alex Hawke made the deportation decision due to the possibility of Djokovic encouraging anti-vaccine sentiment in Australia.
The country’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison defended the ruling, saying “that it was in the public interest to do so”.
“I welcome the decision to keep our borders strong and keep Australians safe,” he added.
Now Djokovic has not only lost the chance of defending his Australian Open title, but also faces a three-year ban from Australia due to his deportation.
It has set tongues wagging the 34-year-old may never play in Melbourne again after the spectacular visa row that has gripped the globe.
It has been a costly 12 days in Australia for the 20-time Grand Slam winner, who now faces having to pay his own legal fees as well as those of the Australian government, while also missing out on a £2.32m potential windfall for winning the Open.
He has been embroiled in further scandal after it emerged he met with at least 25 kids at three events in Serbia while positive for the virus, and could face jail for flouting isolation rules, it has been reported.
He said he didn’t receive the results of his test until after the meetings.
The saga over Djokovic’s jab status began when his visa was revoked when he first landed in Aus.
The Serbian champ was given his marching orders following a six-hour stand-off at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport.
He had initially been granted a vaccine exemption – his lawyers said, because he contracted Covid-19 in December – to compete before his visa was dramatically cancelled.
Djokovic was rushed to an immigration hotel, despite pleading to be moved to more elaborate digs with a tennis court or to have his private chef provide vegan meals – requests which were denied.
A judge then ordered his passport to be handed back – saying he was “agitated” about the case and asking: “What more could this man have done?”
However, in a twist, Djokovic was reportedly arrested as the government revoked his visa again.
His supporters were pepper-sprayed by cops in the street after Immigration Minister Alex Hawke used his powers on “health and good order” grounds.
Djokovic’s legal team appealed the decision overnight, but their pleas for him to remain in Australia were overruled, seeing him sent packing on Sunday.
Chief Justice James Allsop, Justice Anthony Besanko and Justice David O’Callaghan unanimously decided Djokovic did not have grounds to dispute Hawke’s deportation order.
Justice Allsop earlier said he accepted Djokovic could be seen as “an iconic sports star that is setting an example that is not ideal to be followed”.
VAX ROW
“If Mr Djokovic won the Open, as he has in the past, there is an example embedded in the minister’s reasoning that this is an example for young and not so young fans of tennis,” he said.
Djokovic is one of just three players inside the ATP’s top 100 who have not been vaccinated.
Government officials have not yet said whether they’ll take up their option to ban Djokovic from applying for a visa to enter the country again for the next three years.
The star has faced huge backlash from Australians, who have been split on the decision to detain him.
More than 83,000 people tuned in to the Federal Court livestream of the proceedings to watch the showdown, while his supporters gathered in the streets outside.
Djokovic has not openly spoken about his jab status, but has previously admitted he was “opposed” to vaccination.
He told reporters: “Personally I am opposed to vaccination.
“I wouldn’t want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine in order to be able to travel.”
But his lawyers insist comments he made about vaccines in April 2020 are not necessarily relevant – and he has not publicly aligned himself with either those in favour of jabs or those against.
