World number one Serbian Novak Djokovic achieved a surprising victory on Monday in his quest to remain in Australia and participate in the first of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, after a federal judge ordered his immediate release from a Melbourne airport detention center amidst a controversy over COVID-19 vaccination. Judge Anthony Kelly abruptly ended days of legal debate after the state withdrew its decision to cancel the Serbian's visa.
This ruling is considered a significant setback for the government, which has imposed strict border controls over the past two years to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In an emergency online hearing on Monday, the judge stated that the government agreed to rescind its visa cancellation and ordered Djokovic's immediate release, adding, "This release must occur within 30 minutes after this order is issued."
In response to the decision, dozens of fans chanted "Novak, Novak, Novak," for the nine-time Australian Open champion (a record) as they marched in celebration of the decision outside the Melbourne federal court. Djokovic (34) traveled to Australia last Wednesday to defend his title at the Australian Open, which starts next Monday, and to seek a record 21st Grand Slam title, revealing that he had received a medical exemption from the tournament organizers.
However, even after his court victory, his participation in the tournament is still not guaranteed. A court attorney warned that Immigration Minister Alex Hawke may decide to use his "personal authority to cancel" the visa despite the player’s legal victory. Upon his arrival on the night of Wednesday to Thursday in Australia, authorities refused to allow Djokovic entry, deeming that the reasons for exempting the unvaccinated player did not meet the strict conditions imposed for entering their territory as part of COVID-19 measures, leading to the rejection of his visa and his transfer to the Melbourne airport detention center.
