Novak Djokovic returns to court to face deportation to Australia | Tennis stories

Novak Djokovic returned to court on Sunday to face the Australian government, which wants to expel him.

The world’s top tennis player, who has not received the COVID-19 vaccine, complains that the Minister of Inheritance and Immigration Alex Hawke is using his limited powers to cancel his visa on the grounds that he threatens public order because his presence would encourage vaccination resistance. mind.

Djokovic’s lawyers told the Federal Court that there was no evidence to support the Australian government’s claim.

Nick Wood, representing Djokovic, showed how the player competed in the Australian Open and other major international events last year without triggering protests or riots from anti-vaccine agents.

“If there is any basis for speculating that Djokovic’s presence and participation in a tennis tournament could lead to anti-vax sentiment, one would expect it to be supported by some evidence against anti-vax demonstrations or meetings or conferences.” said Wood.

Undeterred by the fact that nothing has been identified by the immigration minister, Wood said Djokovic’s forced eviction could lead to protests against the vaccine.

Three Federal Court judges are expected to hear the full case in one day for the nine-time Australian Open champion to begin defending his title in the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year.

Djokovic, who has refused to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, has been on a rollercoaster for 10 days since. arrived in Australia on January 5. A tennis player wanted to enter the country without being allowed to follow the rules that required all visitors to be vaccinated but refused to enter.

The move came after the ban sparked outrage in Australia, which has been hit hard by the global closure of COVID-19 and where more than 90 percent of adults have been vaccinated.

The dispute has become a political issue for Prime Minister Scott Morrison as he prepares for elections by May.

Following the government’s initial decision to cancel his visa, Djokovic had spent four days in a hotel near the city of Melbourne in the past. released Monday when he won a court victory on the grounds of his initial revocation of the visa.

But on Friday, the immigration minister revoked Djokovic’s visa again.

Court documents filed by the attorney on Saturday show that Hawke justified his decision because the presence of Djokovic could jeopardize anti-vaccination views in Australia at a time when the country is in the midst of a devastating HIV epidemic.

“While I acknowledge that Djokovic is at risk of infecting COVID-19 to others, I find that his presence could be a threat to the health of Australian people,” Hawke said in a letter to Djokovic and colleagues. legal team.

As court cases unfolded, hundreds of freedom fighters held a peace rally outside Melbourne Park, which houses the Australian Open, and scheduled another Monday.

“We are at the Rod Laver Arena to support Novak. He has won nine [Australian Open] titles here. We hope this will be Number 10 – if he can get out of the isolation area and get his visa back, “said Harrison McLean, one of the organizers.”

Djokovic, who has won the last three Australian Open titles, is looking for a 21st Grand Slam history. He is currently linked with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer the most influential man in history.

Serb’s biggest rivals have come to terms with the uncertainty that is about to pull and the cloud that is hanging over their game.

“To be honest, I’m a little tired of the stereotypes because I just believe it’s important to talk about our sport, tennis,” said Nadal, who has 20 senior positions with Djokovic.

Alexander Zverev, the third in the world, claimed that Djokovic had been treated unfairly and that the Serbs could be used as a political tool by Australian government officials, which Canberra denied.

“Obviously this is not a good thing for everyone, especially for him,” Zverev said. But do not doubt his legacy for this. “