Novak Djokovic lands in Dubai, then flies to native Serbia after being deported from Australia

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Novak Djokovic was returning home to Serbia on Monday after his deportation from Australia due to his mandatory COVID-19 vaccination ended the No. 1-ranked men’s tennis player’s hopes of defending his title of the Australian Open.

An Emirates plane carrying him from Australia landed in Dubai early on Monday, and Djokovic was later seen on board a plane which was due to land in the Serbian capital of Belgrade at 12:10 p.m. local time. His lawyers had argued in an Australian court on Sunday that he should be allowed to stay in the country and compete in the tournament under a medical exemption due to a coronavirus infection last month.

Djokovic has won nine Australian Open titles, including three in a row, and a total of 20 Grand Slam singles trophies, tied with rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for the most in tennis history male. Federer is not playing while recovering from injury, and Nadal is the only former Australian Open men’s champion in the tournament which started on Monday.

Djokovic enjoys overwhelming support in his native Serbia, where his closest family lives. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has accused the Australian government of “harassing” the top-ranked tennis star and urged him to return to where he would be welcome.

Djokovic had tested positive for coronavirus in Belgrade on December 16, which he used as an argument to enter Australia, but his visa was initially canceled on January 6 by a border official who decided he was not eligible for a medical exemption from Australia. rules for unvaccinated visitors.

He won an appeal to stay for the tournament, but the Australian Immigration Minister later revoked his visa. Three Federal Court judges unanimously decided on Sunday to affirm the immigration minister’s right to cancel Djokovic’s visa.

Vaccination amid the pandemic was a requirement for anyone at the Australian Open, be it the players, their coaches or anyone at the tournament site. Over 95% of all Top 100 men and women in their respective tour rankings are vaccinated. At least two men – American Tennys Sandgren and Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert – skipped the first major tournament of the year due to the vaccine requirement.

Djokovic’s attempt to secure the medical exemption for not being vaccinated has sparked anger in Australia, where strict city closures and restrictions on international travel have been used to try to control the spread of the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic.

But Djokovic has overwhelming support in his native Serbia, and President Aleksandar Vucic said the hearing in Australia was “a farce with a lot of lies”.

“They think they humiliated Djokovic with this 10-day harassment, and they actually humiliated themselves. If you said that the one who has not been vaccinated does not have the right to enter, Novak would not come or would be vaccinated,” Vucic told reporters.