(MARTIN KEEP/AFP via Getty Images)
Novak Djokovic has lost his court challenge to avoid deportation, and as a result the 20-time Grand Slam winner will not be allowed to go for a record 21st major title in Melbourne at this week’s Australian Open.
In a 3-0 vote, a trio of judges upheld Immigration Minister Alex Hawke’s decision to cancel Djokovic’s visa over his not being vaccinated against Covid-19.
“I am extremely disappointed with the Court ruling to dismiss my application for judicial review of the Minister’s decision to cancel my visa, which means I cannot stay in Australia and participate in the Australian Open,” Djokovic said in a statement. The tennis star added, “I respect the Court’s ruling and I will cooperate with the relevant authorities in relation to my departure from the country.”
Djokovic had been fighting to stay in Australia on the grounds that he contracted Covid-19 in December. The tennis star came under heavy criticism for the timeline he put out, though — as
According to the immigration minister, Djokovic has left Australia. He would have been a prohibitive favorite to win and capture his 21st Slam — which would have vaulted him ahead of his contemporaries Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for No. 1 on the all-time list. Federer is injured and not competing in Melbourne but Nadal, who is the tournament’s No. 6 seed, is now one of the favorites to win, in Djokovic’s absence.