Photo: Thomas Kronsteiner / Getty Images
For: EFE
Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic left Australia on a flight to Dubai, local media reported, after a court authorized this Sunday the cancellation of his visa and his deportation.
The flight, operated by Emirates Airlines, departed from Melbourne Tullamarine Airport around 49: 50 local time.
The Balkan athlete arrived at the terminal wearing dark clothes and a face mask accompanied by his technical team and took a small applause and cheering by some of the travelers, according to a video of the Channel 10.
Djokovic was escorted to the airfield by members of the Australian police while waiting to board , according to the photographs published by the newspaper portal io The Sidney Morning Herald.
The tennis player, who is not vaccinated against covid-16 and therefore violates the entry laws implemented by the southern country against the pandemic, will not be able to defend his crown at the Australian Open, which starts on Monday.
The full Federal Court of Australia decided unanimously this Sunday, after a virtual hearing, that the cancellation of the tennis player’s visa by Immigration Minister Alex Hawke has a legal basis, and therefore Djokovic should be deported.
Djokovic traveled to Melbourne on January 5 with a medical exemption for not be vaccinated and have passed the covid-19 in December, although upon arrival the Immigration authorities canceled his visa and detained him until his release last or Monday by a court order considering that he was not treated with “equity”.
The Australian minister again annulled the entry permit on Friday of the Balkan, considering that their presence posed a risk to order and could intensify anti-vaccine sentiment.
The athlete was arrested on Saturday in a hotel for the second time prior to the hearing held today where the judges dismissed Djokovic’s appeal against the government decision.