Tennis World No. 1 Novak Djokovic denied entry into Australia

Tags: Sports News

Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic was denied entry into Australia after the Australian government revoked his visa for failing to meet COVID­19 vaccine­ entry requirements. 

• Djokovic was denied entry at Melbourne Airport, where he arrived to participate in the Australian Open scheduled to be held from January 17 - 30, 2022.
• He is currently being held at an immigration detention facility and faces deportation.
• Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Djokovic had failed to provide immigration officials with evidence of double vaccination or an adequate medical exemption and that is the only reason because “Rules are rules and there are no special cases,”
• As per rules all participants at the Australian Open must be vaccinated or have a medical exemption, which is granted only after assessment by two panels of independent experts.

Djokovic till date has won 20 Grand Slam men’s singles titles. Djokovic is the only man in the Open Era of Professional Tennis to achieve a double career Grand Slam and complete a non-calendar year Grand Slam.

The Australian Open also known as ‘happy slam’ is a tennis tournament held annually over the last fortnight of January in Melbourne, Australia. The tournament is the first of the four Grand Slam tennis events held each year, preceding the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. It is played on hard court.