ATP / Novak Djokovic.
Melbourne, January 16 (RHC)-- Australia will deport Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic after a court on Sunday dismissed the athlete's appeal against a second cancellation of his visa, a ruling that prevents him from participating in the first Grand Slam of the season.
The decision puts an end to long days of legal proceedings, where the player sought to be allowed to play without having a completed vaccination cycle against Covid-19 and rules the top seed out of the tournament.
Djokovic suffered from the disease in mid-December last year and intended to take part in the event with a negative test for the virus, but both the Ministry of Health in that nation, as well as the Immigration Ministry prevented him from doing so.
One of the reasons that tipped the scales for the final ruling is the impact it will have on anti-vaccine groups to allow Djokovic to play without administering one.
For the 34-year-old, the competitive outlook is looking bleak, considering that of the four major tournaments of the year, only one, Roland Garros, would accept him without a completed course of vaccinations.