Djokovic loses $2.1 million, history with court defeat

Djokovic will leave Australia after the country’s federal court upheld a decision to revoke his entry permit, fearing his presence would strengthen anti-vaccination sentiment. Chief Justice James Allsop said Sunday that it was not up to the court to decide on the merits of the decision, only that it was illogical or legally unreasonable.

“I respect the court’s decision and will cooperate with the relevant authorities regarding my departure from the country. I will now take some time to rest and recover,” Djokovic said in an emailed statement.

The record is a blow to Djokovic’s hopes of winning his 21st Grand Slam singles title, which would have come with $2.875 million in prize money. The world’s top-ranked player has won the Australian Open in the past three years and won nearly half of his Grand Slam titles at the tournament, which begins on Monday.

Djokovic is paying a high price for seeking to circumvent the entry requirement in one of the world’s most vaccinated countries. Host city Melbourne faced a strict lockdown during the pandemic and has faced public outcry since the tennis star came out with a medical exemption on 5 January. Also, Prime Minister Scott Morrison is trying to show his strength in handling Kovid. -19 pandemic and border rules before the general election that must be called by May.

An opinion poll published on Sunday by Melbourne’s Edge newspaper showed that nearly three quarters of Australians believe Djokovic should be sent home. Just 14% said they should be allowed to stay and play at the Australian Open, a survey of 1607 people showed.

Djokovic’s lawyers challenged Immigration Minister Alex Hawke’s exercise of special powers to revoke his visa on grounds of health and good order, and on the grounds that it was in the public interest to do so. The decision reversed an earlier court ruling that had canceled his first visa for procedural reasons.

According to court documents, Hawke argued that the Serbian star’s presence risked reinforcing anti-vaccination sentiment among the minority population and risked public order. Hawke said Djokovic has not been vaccinated and has shown a “clear disregard” for basic rules such as isolating after testing positive, which may encourage or influence others to emulate his conduct.

Djokovic could face a three-year ban on entering Australia. According to Australia’s Department of Home Affairs, it can be waived if there are “forced circumstances” to grant a visa in the future.

As for Djokovic, his lawyers said Hawke took an “unfair approach” to assess whether his deportation was in the public interest and provided no evidence that his presence could fuel anti-vaccination sentiment. The only evidence of protests referring to Djokovic’s case was barrister Nick Wood, who told a hearing on Sunday that the state had revoked his visa for the first time.

Stephen Lloyd, a barrister working for the government, told the court, “rightly or wrongly he is believed to support an anti-vaccination approach and his presence here is believed to contribute.”

The unanimous court decision ends the turmoil leading up to the first Tennis Grand Slam of 2022, when Djokovic was entered into a draw despite remaining questions over his ability to stay at the country. The saga has been asked about in most press conferences with tennis’ best players, which has been gaining attention since the tournament itself.

World No. 6 Rafael Nadal told reporters on Saturday: “The Australian Open is far more important than any player. Novak Djokovic is undoubtedly one of the best players in history, but there is no player like that in history.” Which is more important. than an incident.”