Unvaccinated tennis star Novak Djokovic was ultimately forced to leave the country after wrangling over his vaccination status ahead of the Australian Open – and is expected to be back on court in Dubai in mid-February. But what will happen to Djokovic afterwards?? All info in the news ticker.
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Djokovic will probably return to the tennis stage in Dubai
Wednesday, 26. January, 12.05 o’clock: Novak Djokovic is aiming for a comeback on the tennis court in Dubai after the chaos surrounding the denial of his entry to Australia, according to concurring media reports. The 34-year-old Serb, who has not made any public statements after his forced return to his homeland, is on the list of participants for the ATP tournament in Dubai from 14. to 26. February. An official notice was missing Wednesday morning on the website of the organizers in the United Arab Emirates.
Djokovic had missed the Australian Open currently underway after losing in federal court. The judges had rejected the world number one’s appeal against the cancellation of his visa. Djokovic had entered the country unvaccinated and with a medical exemption.
Corona vaccination is not required for entry in Dubai. How Djokovic’s season plans after the tournament in February is still completely open. Corona vaccination required for travel to Masters tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami.
Four days after Djokovic’s expulsion, court’s reasoning is published
Thursday, 20. January, 13.50 a.m: Four days after Novak Djokovic’s appeal against the cancellation of his visa was rejected, the federal court has released its reasoning. According to the report, it was reasonable for the Australian government to assume that the Serbian tennis pro had an anti-vaccine attitude and was a threat to the public. This is according to documents released by the court on Thursday.
"A world tennis star can influence people of all ages, young and old, but perhaps especially the young and the impressionable", Said the reasoning of the three judges. Even if Djokovic had not won the Australian Open, the fact that he was playing tennis in Australia could have encouraged those who wanted to be like him and he could have fueled anti-vaccine sentiment, it said.
The Djokovic side had previously argued that it was inappropriate to portray the Serbian tennis star as an opponent of vaccination and that Immigration Minister Alex Hawke could not know his attitude. However, the court considered it proven that the government’s view was justified, also because Djokovic had decided not to be vaccinated.
After a court battle that lasted for days, the Federal Court in Melbourne declared the visa withdrawal to be legal last Sunday. As a result, the world number one had to leave Australia and will not be able to defend his title at the Australian Open, which is currently underway. Djokovic had traveled to Australia unvaccinated because he wanted to enter the Grand Slam tournament with a medical exemption. Upon entry, however, his visa had been canceled because the 34-year-old Serb could not provide sufficient evidence for the special permit.
Surprising commitment: Djokovic co-founded Corona research company
20.00: Vaccine-skeptic Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic is co-founder and majority shareholder of a Danish biotech company seeking to develop a medical treatment for Covid-19. The company was founded in June 2020, the head of QuantBioRes, Ivan Loncarevic, told the AFP news agency on Wednesday. According to the Danish Business Register, Djokovic and his wife Jelena hold 80 percent of the shares in the company.
QuantBioRes employs about 20 people in Denmark, Slovenia, Australia and the United Kingdom. "Our goal is to develop a new technology to fight viruses and resistant bacteria", Loncarevic said. If we can do it with coronavirus, we’ll do it with all the other viruses". Djokovic’s spokesman would not comment on his involvement with the company when asked.
Djokovic had caused an international stir when he was denied entry to Australia because of a missing Corona vaccination certificate. Djokovic, who had not been vaccinated against the coronavirus, had wanted to take part in the Australian Open in Melbourne, although entry to Australia is only permitted to fully vaccinated foreigners. The Serb invoked a medical exemption, but it was not recognized by Australian authorities. After a legal dispute, his visa was finally canceled.
Report: Only three tennis pros from the top 100 not vaccinated
Wednesday, 19. January, 11.28 a.m: Novak Djokovic is, according to the British newspaper "Telegraph" one of only three men’s and women’s tennis pros in the top 100 who have not yet been vaccinated against the corona virus. In addition to Djokovic, only American Tennys Sandgren has not been vaccinated, the paper reported Wednesday, citing the ATP men’s professional organization.
Only one player in the top 100 of the women’s world rankings has not been vaccinated, the women’s professional organization WTA has confirmed. It was not known whether the player, who has not been named, will be at the Australian Open currently underway in Melbourne, the report continued.
Australia allowed in principle only vaccinated professionals to participate in the first Grand Slam tournament of the season. The world number one Djokovic had tried to enter the country with an exemption. However, the Serb had to leave the country after a legal tug-of-war on Sunday evening, after the Federal Court upheld the renewed cancellation of his visa by Immigration Minister Alex Hawke
Report: Unvaccinated Djokovic also threatened with withdrawal from Wimbledon
11.33 Watch: According to media reports, Novak Djokovic also faces exclusion from the Grand Slam classic at Wimbledon if the tennis world number one does not get vaccinated.
According to the British newspapers "Telegraph" and "Mirror" the London tournament organizers do not want to give any assurance that Djokovic will be allowed to defend his title at the grass spectacle next summer. This would go beyond the Corona rules currently in force by the British government. Until now, unvaccinated top athletes have been allowed to enter the UK to train and compete.
It had previously been announced that the 34-year-old Serb’s title defense at the French Open in May is also out of the question if he continues to be unvaccinated. The French Minister of Sport, Roxana Maracineanu, had announced that in the future domestic and foreign athletes will be allowed to compete in France only if they are vaccinated or recovered. Participation in the US Open in New York is also possible only for those who have been vaccinated.
The newspaper "Informer" published in Belgrade headlined on Tuesday: "Novak must decide: Vaccination or end of career. If he can’t play, he loses 40 million euros in sponsorships." The Serbian newspaper "Vecernji Novosti" raged: "For Novak, one door closes after another: You don’t let him become the number one of all time."
Australian Tennis Federation to Djokovic: "Essential distraction for all"
Tuesday, 18. January, 09.02:00: The Australian Tennis Federation wants to review its approach after the courtroom farce surrounding the unvaccinated Novak Djokovic. There are always lessons to be learned, Tennis Australia announced Tuesday. One wants to examine – as every year – all aspects.
At the same time, the federation apologized for the fuss created before the start of the first Grand Slam tournament of the year. "We understand that recent events have been a major distraction for everyone", informed Tennis Australia, without mentioning Djokovic’s name in the statement.
After a days-long court battle, the Federal Court in Melbourne declared the visa withdrawal legal on Sunday, one day before the start of the Australian Open. Djokovic had to leave Australia as a result. Tennis Australia has worked closely with the government of Australia and the state government of Victoria, the statement said.
After expulsion from Australia: Djokovic returned to Belgrade
14.58 o’clock: Novak Djokovic has returned to Belgrade after being expelled from Australia. While dozens of journalists and fans waited outside the airport in the Serbian capital on Monday, the 34-year-old left the building through a side entrance, according to a security guard.
Turnaround in France: unvaccinated Djokovic could also miss French Open
11.30 p.m: Novak Djokovic could already face new adversity. For in France at the moment there is a spectacular turn of events. Contrary to previous announcements, the Minister of Sport, Roxana Maracineanu, has now said that only vaccinated athletes will be allowed to participate in the French Open, which will take place at the end of May. Earlier, the National Assembly approved a passport Vaccinal, that is, a vaccination passport, which should increasingly regulate participation in social life in France.
"When the law is announced, proof of vaccination will be mandatory for access to stadiums – for both French and foreign athletes", Maracineanu writes on Twitter.
Djokovic is known to be unvaccinated and it is also completely uncertain whether he will be vaccinated in the future after the Melbourne episode. So Djokovic could also miss the second Grand Slam tournament of the year – and with it a lot of money, fame and world ranking points.
Serbia’s president VucicDjokovic "treated like a mass murderer"
13.43 p.m: Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has sharply criticized the Australian authorities’ handling of Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic. Since his arrival in Australia, the unvaccinated top athlete has been "harassed and tortured" Vucic said on Sunday to the British BBC that the.
He was "treated like a mass murderer". A few hours earlier, the Australian Federal Court rejected Djokovic’s appeal against the cancellation of his visa. The 34-year-old must leave Australia and will not take part in the Australian Open, which begins on Monday. The harassment against Djokovic has "unprecedented proportions" assumed, Vucic told Serbian media on Sunday.
A "witch hunt" has been sparked against him, and the media has got a "lynching mood" generates. "Novak was made an example of how the world order works." But Djokovic could "with his head held high" return to Serbia.
Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic made similar remarks. She was upset that the government’s lawyer in the federal court case said that less than 50 percent of the population in Serbia is dually vaccinated.
This is an "open lie, Brnabic said. "We currently have 58 percent fully vaccinated, and 37 percent received the booster." The figures Brnabic gave, however, probably referred to the percentage of vaccinated people among the adult population. According to "Our World in Data," Djokovic had the highest number of votes among the population as a whole was 47 percent at last count.
Djokovic’s father on Twitter: "The attempt on his life is over"
13.34 pm: Srdjan Djokovic, Novak’s father, has spoken out on Instagram about the scandal surrounding his son. There he spoke of the "assassination of the best tennis player in the world" is now over. Further, Srdjan Djokovic wrote that Novak has "50 bullets in the chest" get.
The father of the world number one had repeatedly attracted attention with martial statements in recent days. He already referred to his son as "Jesus" in the past.
Djokovic leaves Australia after court decision
12.58 pm: Novak Djokovic left Australia late Sunday night. As reported by the AFP news agency, his plane had taken off before 11 p.m. local time.
This ends an eleven-day odyssey for both the Serb and the Australian authorities, who also took a lot of criticism in the wake of the Djokovic scandal. The end of a farce that will go down in tennis history.
Immigration Minister Alex Hawke took to Twitter to confirm the departure of the 34-year-old, who on Sunday failed in his appeal against the cancellation of his visa in the Australian Federal Court.
According to media reports Djokovic is first on his way to Dubai.
Australian media: Djokovic will still leave the country on Sunday
11.02 o’clock: After his defeat in federal court, tennis star Novak Djokovic will leave Australia later Sunday. As the Australian newspaper "The Age" reports and "The Sydney Morning Herald reported, the 34-year-old Serb at 22.30 o’clock on Sunday evening (local time) flying from Melbourne to Dubai.
Shortly before 6 p.m., the three judges responsible had rejected the appeal of the world number one against the renewed cancellation of his visa from Friday.