TOPSHOT - A man holds a placard reading "Free Djokovic" as people demonstrate against the Austrian ... [+]
A virtual hearing was held Monday in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia in Melbourne at which lawyers for top-ranked tennis player Novak Djokovic appealed the cancellation of his visa to enter the country because of his Covid vaccination status.
A judge ruled Djokovic should be released from detention, and the government's cancelation of his visa overruled. He is scheduled to play in the Australian Open that begins on January 17.
According to the New York Times, ‘’The judge, Anthony Kelly, found that Djokovic had been treated unfairly after his arrival at a Melbourne airport for the Australian Open, where he had been cleared to play with a vaccinations exemption. After detaining Djokovic, the border authorities promised to let him speak with tournament organizers and his lawyers early Thursday morning, only to cancel his visa before he was given a chance.’’
The newspaper cautioned that, ’’Restoring the visa does not, however, guarantee that Djokovic will be able to vie for his 10th Open title when the tournament begins next Monday. In court, the government’s lawyers warned that the immigration minister could still cancel his visa, which would lead to an automatic three-year ban.’’
Demonstrations in support of Djokovic have been held in Melbourne, Vienna, Austria; and Belgrade, Serbia.
The Washington Post noted that, “The case has polarized opinions around the world and elicited heartfelt support for the tennis star in his native Serbia. ‘Today is a big day. Today, the whole world will hear the truth,’ Djokovic’s mother, Dijana Djokovic, told the crowd in downtown Belgrade.”
Marina Mara, an international media, brand and reputation advisor, said that “This has now become the greatest crisis in tennis history. The country is losing its appeal and making global headlines.”
‘No One Party To Blame’
In an interview with CNN affiliate 9 News on Sunday, Craig Tiley, the CEO of Tennis Australia, refused to lay blame for the fiasco on any one party.
He said Tennis Australia had been in communication with Australia's Ministry of Home Affairs "every week" and that all parties concerned were operating in a "very challenging environment."
He said "contradictory information" had led to exemptions being granted to unvaccinated players ahead of the Australian Open.
‘Victim Of Political Prosecution’
News.concerns.com reported that, “Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic claims Djokovic was the victim of ‘political persecution’ by the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and others in the country’s government, calling on them to move him from the “horrific hotel” where he is being detained into a private rented house.”
Delay Request Rejected
On Sunday, CNN reported that, “An Australian government request to delay Novak Djokovic's visa hearing by two days has been rejected, according to court documents....No reasons were stated for the adjournment request, but it came just hours after Djokovic's legal team submitted a 35-page document outlining the player's defense against the decision to cancel his temporary visa.”
‘Rules Are Rules’
NBC News said that when he tried to enter the country “border patrol held Djokovic for questioning for eight grueling hours…on Wednesday, Scott Morrison, the prime minister of Australia, announced that Djokovic’s visa had been canceled.”
“Rules are rules,” Morrison said in a Tweet, “especially when it comes to our borders. No one is above these rules. Our strong border policies have been critical to Australia having one of the lowest death rates in the world from Covid. [We] are continuing to be vigilant.”
Tennis Star’s Preparations At Risk
Robert Jahrling, a three-time Olympian for Australia and now managing director of equity capital markets at Citi said that as a former athlete he empathizes with Djokovic's position. He said, “This now puts Djokovic's finely tuned preparation at risk with a significant disadvantage to performing at his best given the emotional, mental, and physical circumstances he's experienced since arriving in Melbourne and being detained by the Australian Border Control prior to the Australian Open.
“The current situation proves that when there is a lack of coherency and understanding about the rules and regulations, it creates a significant misalignment of expectations, which in turn creates adverse outcomes for all parties involved,” Jahrling observed.
