Serbs dismayed a Djokovic’s visa situation in Australia
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DUSAN STOJANOVIC
Associated Press
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Novak Djokovic’s supporters in Serbia were dismayed Friday after waking up to the news that the top-ranked tennis player again faces deportation from Australia after his visa was revoked for a second time.
Australia’s immigration minister used his ministerial discretion to cancel the 34-year-old Serb’s visa on public interest grounds — only three days before play begins at the Australian Open. Djokovic is the defending champion at the season’s first Grand Slam tournament and has won a record nine of his 20 major titles at Melbourne Park.
Djokovic’s lawyers again appealed at a court in Melbourne, which they successfully did last week on procedural grounds after his visa was first canceled when he landed in Melbourne and spent four nights in an immigration detention center.
Djokovic initially refused to say if he had been vaccinated against the coronavirus, but he got an exemption from Australia’s strict COVID-19 vaccination regulations to enter the country the first time. He said this week he is unvaccinated.
If deported, Djokovic is likely to return to Serbia, where his saga has captivated the public and where he has an almost iconic status and overwhelming support.
Djokovic’s former coach and mentor, Niki Pilic, described the situation as “shameful” and said Djokovic was being treated like a “criminal.”
Nebojsa Covic, a former politician and now the owner of the Red Star Belgrade basketball club, said the controversy has made Djokovic “a symbol of the free world” no matter what happens.
“He is a global star, a beacon of free men. Basic human rights are being violated,” Covic told Prva TV. “Djokovic is the moral winner of the tournament in Australia.”