Novak Djokovic arrives in Australia ahead of Grand Slam after COVID-19 vaccine incident and deportation :: Dancehall Reggae :: Forums

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Posted December 28, 2022 04:00 AM

Novak Djokovic arrives in Australia ahead of Grand Slam after COVID-19 vaccine incident and deportation
Novak Djokovic is back in Australia preparing for the upcoming Australian Open.

Djokovic was granted a visa last month. He will play the tournament in Adelaide on January 16 and the Australian Open in Melbourne.

"Novak is welcome in Australia," Australian Open director Craig Tilly said Tuesday via The Associated Press. "I think he's landed in Adelaide as we speak and will be the player to beat again [at the Australian Open]."

Djokovic's 2022 Australian Open saga is insane. He missed the Grand Slam after refusing to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, which Australia requires visitors to enter. These requirements have been removed.

Djokovic, who won the 2021 Australian Open, was world No. 1 when he was suspended from last year's tournament. The Serbian star ended up at the French Open, where he lost to Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals. Last year, Djokovic defeated Nick Kyrgios to win Wimbledon.

He has never played the US Open and is now ranked fifth in the world.

Djokovic last played at the Nitto ATP Finals in Italy in November, when he beat Kasper Rudd to win the title -- his fifth title of the season.

Djokovic has won the title nine times in Australia, including three of the past four. Nadal won it last year.

While Djokovic's vaccination stance has undoubtedly caused a lot of criticism and commotion in the tennis world, he is undoubtedly the favorite to lift two titles in Australia this month - something that Terry believes the Australian may still be behind.

"I have great confidence in the Australian public," Terry said, via The Associated Press. "We're an educated sports audience, especially those who come to play tennis. They love their tennis, they love watching great games, they love watching great sports.

"And I'm very confident that the fans will react the way we want them to react and respect that."

Novak Djokovic has returned to Australia almost a year after being banned from Australia with a high-profile visa over his stance on Covid-19 vaccination, a Tennis Australia spokesman said.

The 21-time Grand Slam champion will start his 2023 tennis season next week in Adelaide for Adelaide International 1. More than a month ago, Australian officials said they would lift Djokovic's three-year entry ban.

The Serb was deported from Australia in January after former immigration minister Alex Hawke found the tennis star a threat to public health and order because he was an outstanding athlete and had previously objected to people being forced to Playing tennis can see the Covid-19 vaccine as an anti-vaccination "icon".

The minister's decision to expel the former world number one men's player meant he was initially banned from re-entry for three years.

"We welcome him back to Australia," Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley said on Monday.

On the reception Djokovic should expect from the Australians, Terry said: "I have a lot of faith in the Australian public. I think we have a well-educated sports audience, especially those who come to play tennis. They love tennis. They love to see greatness. They love to watch great sports.
"I'm very confident that the fans will react the way we want and respect that," he added.

CNN has reached out to the tennis star for comment.

Djokovic has won the men's singles nine times at the Australian Open, more than anyone in history. He has signed up for the 2023 race next month.

australian open legend
Djokovic's high-profile visa saga cast a pall over the Australian Open earlier this year, pitting one of tennis' biggest stars against the Australian government and creating divisions in the country. The country has imposed strict epidemic border restrictions.

The government revoked the Serbian’s visa shortly after his arrival in Melbourne on January 5 because he was not vaccinated against Covid-19.

Djokovic said he was under the impression he could enter the country because two independent panels associated with Tennis Australia and the Victorian state government had granted him an exemption on the grounds he had been infected with the virus a few weeks prior to his arrival.

But the federal government argued that was not a valid reason for an exemption under its rules.

A judge later ruled that border officers had been “unreasonable” when they canceled Djokovic’s visa and ordered his release from an immigration detention center.

But his visa was then revoked for a second time and after losing his bid to challenge the decision, the tennis star left Australia.

Despite his return to action in selected tournaments following the ordeal, the player’s Covid-19 vaccination stance restricted his participation in others.

In July, Djokovic won his 21st grand slam title, beating Nick Kyrgios in the final at Wimbledon.

Melbourne [Australia], December 28 (ANI): Nine-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic has arrived in Australia nearly a year after he was deported from the country, the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) reported on Tuesday.

Djokovic landed in Adelaide where he is due to play in the Adelaide International beginning on Sunday, the SMH said.

Less than a year after his high-profile visa saga and deportation last January, Djokovic’s bid for a remarkable 10th title at Melbourne Park next month has begun in earnest.

Djokovic, the men’s tennis standout, has missed Australian and US Opens in 2022 due to his refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

A source familiar with Djokovic’s travel plans confirmed late Tuesday that the Serbian had arrived in Adelaide, where he will play an Open warm-up event next week.

The mixed-gender United Cup begins on Thursday, kicking off the Australian tennis summer, and Djokovic will begin his 2023 campaign with the Adelaide International, an ATP 250 event in South Australia that begins on January 1.

The Australian government granted the Serb a visa to attend the Grand Slam event in November, stating that it had decided to rescind the decision to cancel Djokovic’s visa after considering all relevant factors.

Djokovic’s visa was revoked in January 2022. Since then all Covid-related border restrictions in Australia have been lifted, including the requirement to show proof of vaccination status to enter the country.

Australian Open boss Craig Tiley flagged the former world No.1’s arrival in Adelaide at a press conference on Tuesday morning as stated by Sydney Morning Herald.

“I think again he’s going to be the player to beat,” Tiley said.

The former world number one won the season-ending ATP Finals last month and will be a favourite to win his 10th Australian Open title.

The 2023 Australian Open will take place at Melbourne Park from January 16 to 29. (ANI)

This report is auto-generated from ANI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.

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