Back to square zero for Novak Djokovic. For the second time in nine days, the world number one tennis player, unvaccinated, should be placed in immigration detention by the Australian authorities. The conservative government, victim of a snub in mondovision, Monday January 10, when the federal court in Melbourne had ruled in favor of the Serb by rendering null and void the cancellation of his visa, launched a new deportation procedure on Friday January 14.
But this time it was Immigration Minister Alex Hawke who went on the offensive using his discretion to cancel a visa: “Today I exercised my power (…) on health and law enforcement grounds, on the grounds that it was in the general interest to do so “, Alex Hawke explained in a statement.
Novak Djokovic is expected to appeal. Time is running out for the nine-time winner of the Australian Open: the first Grand Slam of the year begins Monday in Melbourne. If he does not file an appeal, he could be expelled quickly.
In recent days, embarrassing revelations have weakened his defense. Before embarking for Melbourne, the no 1 worldwide celebrated Christmas in Belgrade then made a detour to Marbella (Spain) to train – as evidenced by images published on social networks – a detour that he did not specify in the entry form on Australian territory, made public on Tuesday. In a statement posted on Instagram on Wednesday, the Serb explained that his agent had completed the document by committing a “Human error, certainly not deliberate”.
Non-compliance with isolation rules
Another disturbing element: a survey by the German weekly Der Spiegel published on Tuesday came to cast doubt on the date of Djokovic’s positive test, hypothesizing that it would not have taken place on December 16 but on December 26.
The Australian authorities have taken the time to dig out these two avenues to which a third has been added: the non-compliance with the rules of isolation, in Serbia, in the wake of its PCR test of December 16. Because the world number one acted in defiance of health rules. That day, Djokovic appeared without a mask when a stamp bearing his image was presented by the Serbian Post. The next day, he presented trophies to young people at his academy in Belgrade, posing among them once again unmasked. “I was asymptomatic (…) and only received the information of my positive PCR test once this event was over ”, The player justified himself on Wednesday, who admitted a “Error of judgment” by welcoming a journalist and a daily photographer The team December 18.
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