No one man can defeat a government. That’s the lesson learned in the Novak Djokovic visa saga.
After almost two weeks of battling deportation proceedings, Djokovic got himself thrown out of Australia on Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022 by three judges of Australia’s Federal Court in a unanimous vote against the world No. 1 tennis player from Serbia.
The justices had listened to a half-day of arguments about Djokovic’s alleged risk to public order in Australia over his anti-vaccine stance since the pandemic began in March 2020.
“The orders of the court are that the amended application be dismissed with costs,” said James Allsop, Australia’s chief justice.
It marked the second time that Djokovic’s Australian visa got revoked, coming barely a week after an Australian judge had restored it on grounds that Djokovic was not given enough time to argue his case at the airport.
The initial victory on Jan. 10 set Djokovic free from a five-day detention from a Melbourne facility reserved for asylum seekers, immigrants and refugees, where he was denied a chef of his own.
Upon his release, Djokovic immediately plunged to training while his legal team fought to save his visa so that he could defend his Australian Open crown he had won nine times.
In the end, Australian Immigration minister Alex Hawke’s position that Djokovic’s stance may inspire anti-vaccine sentiment prevailed.
“Australia’s strong border protection policies have kept us safe during the pandemic,” said Hawke. “They are also fundamental to safeguarding Australia’s social cohesion.”
But isn’t Djokovic also a sorry victim here? For, why did the government give him a visa in the first place? Did they act on the recommendation of a medical exemption filed by officials of Tennis Australia that runs the Australian Open? But then, didn’t the officials know that said exemption may only be granted to returning unvaccinated residents and not to visitors like Djokovic? The world knows that Djokovic has been a rabid vaccine foe since Covid-19 struck two years or so ago.
But instead of sulking and expressing bitterness, Djokovic took it all in stride.
“I will cooperate with the relevant authorities,” said Djokovic. “I will now be taking some time to rest... I hope that we can all now focus on the game and tournament I love.”
If that’s not being a true sportsman, what is?