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Tag Archives: TENN
Part of me leaves with Federer, says emotional Nadal
Sep 23, 2022; London, United Kingdom; A tearful Roger Federer (SUI) and Rafael Nadal (ESP) look on after his last Laver Cup Tennis match. Mandatory Credit: Peter van den Berg-USA TODAY Sports
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LONDON, Sept 24 (Reuters) – Sitting courtside Rafa Nadal cried as his great rival, Roger Federer, bid an emotional farewell to tennis at the Laver Cup on Friday, later saying an important part of him was also leaving the men’s Tour with the retirement of the Swiss.
Pictures and videos of Federer and Nadal – who shared one of tennis’s most enthralling rivalries – crying together after combining for Team Europe in a doubles defeat at London’s O2 Arena went viral on social media, leaving their legions of fans highly emotional.
Nadal, who has won a men’s record 22 Grand Slam singles titles, said it was a difficult night for him emotionally as the defeat to the American pair of Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe marked the end of the 41-year-old Federer’s dazzling career.
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“For me, has been huge honour to be a part of this amazing moment of the history of our sport, and at the same time a lot of years sharing a lot of things together,” the Spaniard said of Federer.
“When Roger leaves the tour, yeah, an important part of my life is leaving too because all the moments he has been next or in front me in important moments of my life. So has been emotional (to) see the family, see all the people. Yeah, difficult to describe. But, yeah, amazing moment.”
Federer, who won 20 major singles titles, played Nadal 40 times in one of the most compelling rivalries across any sport.
Despite the ferocity on court, they have remained friends off court. It was perhaps most apt that the Swiss chose to have his final dance with Nadal on his side of the net.
Loud cheers accompanied Federer and Nadal, or “Fedal” as they are jointly nicknamed, on to court. After entertaining the sellout crowd during the match, both were overcome by emotions.
“I think every year the personal relationship gets better and better, on a daily basis,” Nadal, 36, told reporters. “I think in some way we understand at the end we have a lot of things similar. We approach the life probably similar.
“On court we have completely opposite styles, and that’s what probably makes our matches and our rivalry probably one of the biggest and most interesting.
“Very proud to be part of his career in some way. But even happier to finish our career like friends after everything we shared on court like rivals.”
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Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai and Martyn Herman in London; Editing by William Mallard
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Trump-backed candidate booted from Tenn. ballot; Biden to host military leaders
Sen. Tim Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, and someone who is frequently mentioned as a 2024 White House contender, sought in a speech Tuesday night to rebut those who “question my Blackness.”
Scott appeared at the Reagan Library in Semi Valley, Calif., as part of a “Time for Choosing” speaker’s series, which has been billed as platform for leading voices of the conservative movement. In his speech, Scott shared how his personal life had put him on a path toward conservative politics and spared no words for those who’ve questioned his choices.
“So, for those of you on the left, you can call me a prop, you can call me a token, you can call me the N word, you can question my Blackness, you can even call me Uncle Tim,” Scott said. “Just understand what you call me is no match for the proof of my life. Your words are no match for my evidence. Your pessimism is no match for the truth of my history.”
Scott is clearly trying to boost his national exposure with an eye toward 2024. He’s considered a potential GOP presidential candidate or a leading contender to be Donald Trump’s running mate if the former president seeks a comeback.
During an appearance on Fox News in February, Scott signaled an openness to the latter option.
“I think everybody wants to be on President Trump’s bandwagon, without any question,” Scott said.
Australian court to decide if Djokovic plays in the Open or leaves the country
MELBOURNE, Jan 16 (Reuters) – Tennis star Novak Djokovic faces an 11th-hour court hearing on Sunday that will decide if he can defend his Australian Open title or must leave the country – the climax to days of drama over COVID-19 entry requirements and his unvaccinated status.
The build-up to the tournament, which starts on Monday and which Djokovic has won nine times previously, has been virtually eclipsed by the roller-coaster controversy over Djokovic’s visa, his treatment by immigration officials, and the government’s handling of the case.
Justice David O’Callaghan set a Federal Court hearing for 9:30 a.m. Sunday (2230 GMT Saturday). Three judges will hear the appeal and their decision will be final, the court said.
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Djokovic, who is the men’s top ranked player and is chasing a record 21st Grand Slam win, spent Saturday night at Melbourne’s Park Hotel, according to a Reuters witness, returning to the same immigration detention hotel where he was held for four nights last week.
A judge freed him on Monday after finding the decision to cancel his visa on arrival had been unreasonable. Djokovic has declined to be vaccinated against coronavirus and had sought to enter the country with a medical exemption from rules mandating all visitors to be vaccinated. read more
Immigration Minister Alex Hawke cancelled Djokovic’s visa again on Friday night, prompting the appeal by his lawyers that will be heard on Sunday.
Court documents released after an initial Federal Court hearing on Saturday showed Hawke had justified his decision on the grounds that Djokovic’s presence could whip up more anti-vaccination sentiment in Australia at a time that the country is in the midst of its worst outbreak of the virus.
“Although I … accept that Mr Djokovic poses a negligible individual risk of transmitting COVID-19 to other persons, I nonetheless consider that his presence may be a risk to the health of the Australian community,” Hawke said in a letter to Djokovic and his legal team.
This explanation in Djokovic’s affidavit was more detailed than the brief statement Hawke released on Friday, saying his decision was based on “health and good order grounds”.
Djokovic’s lawyers said they would argue that deportation would only further fan anti-vaccine sentiment and would be as much a threat to disorder and public health as letting him stay.
Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic departs the Park Hotel while under immigration detention, to convene with his legal team after his visa to play in the Australian Open was cancelled a second time, in Melbourne, Australia, January 16, 2022. REUTERS/Loren Elliott
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‘TIRED OF THE SITUATION’
On Saturday afternoon, about a dozen refugee activists chanted “stop the torture … let them out” as Djokovic and Border Force guards drove into the underground garage of the Park Hotel, which is also being used to hold 33 asylum seekers and travellers in COVID-19 quarantine.
A man cycling past the hotel shouted: “Go home, Novak!”
Djokovic’s medical exemption from vaccine requirements to play in the Open prompted widespread anger in Australia, which has undergone some the world’s toughest COVID-19 lockdowns and where more than 90% of adults are vaccinated, but where hospitalisation rates continue to hit record highs.
The controversy over the tennis player has become a political touchstone for Prime Minister Scott Morrison as he prepares for an election due by May.
His government has won support at home for its tough stance on border security during the pandemic, but it has faced criticism for its handling of Djokovic’s visa application.
Djokovic’s leading rivals have become increasingly impatient with the uncertainty hanging over the draw and the cloud hanging over their sport.
“Honestly I’m little bit tired of the situation because I just believe that it’s important to talk about our sport, about tennis,” Spaniard Rafa Nadal, who is tied on 20 major titles with Djokovic, told reporters at Melbourne Park, where the event will be played.
German Alexander Zverev, the world number three, said Djokovic had been treated unfairly and that the Serb might have been used as a political pawn by Australian authorities, something Canberra has denied.
“This is obviously not a nice thing for everyone, for him especially. But don’t question his legacy because of this,” Zverev said.
Djokovic, who is scheduled to play fellow Serb Miomir Kecmanovi in the first round of the Open, could still withdraw and leave Australia of his own accord rather than suffer the humiliation of being deported.
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Reporting by Sonali Paul, Sudipto Ganguly, Ian Ransom and Kirsty Needham; Additional reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Frances Kerry and Daniel Wallis
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Djokovic sorry for COVID errors, Australian Open visa still in doubt
MELBOURNE, Jan 12 (Reuters) – World tennis No. 1 and vaccine sceptic Novak Djokovic blamed human error on Wednesday for a mistake in his Australian immigration paperwork and apologised for breaking isolation for a photoshoot when he had COVID-19 last month.
The 34-year-old Serbian superstar is chasing a record-breaking 21st men’s Grand Slam title at the Australian Open beginning on Monday, but he could be deported by a government unhappy with his medical exemption from inoculation against the coronavirus.
Djokovic was held alongside asylum-seekers at an immigration detention hotel in Melbourne for several days before a judge said that treatment was unreasonable and ordered him freed.
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Though training now for the tournament at Melbourne Park, Djokovic could still have his visa cancelled again if Immigration Minister Alex Hawke exercises discretionary power.
Djokovic’s cause was not helped by a mistake in his entry declaration, where the box stating he had not travelled abroad in the two weeks prior to leaving for Australia was ticked.
In fact, he had gone to Spain from Serbia. read more
“This was submitted by my support team on my behalf – as I told immigration officials on my arrival – and my agent sincerely apologises for the administrative mistake,” Djokovic said on Instagram. read more
“This was a human error and certainly not deliberate.”
Giving wrong information on the form carries a maximum penalty of 12 months’ prison plus a fine and potential visa cancellation.
There is widespread anger over the saga among Australians, who have a 90% vaccination rate among adults.
“I don’t like his arrogance,” said one Melbourne resident, Teyhan Ismain. “It does seem that he’s been telling a few fibs too. So I think he should just probably go back.”
‘ERROR OF JUDGEMENT’
Djokovic was also contrite over an interview and photoshoot for French newspaper L’Equipe on Dec. 18 while infected with COVID-19 for the second time.
“I didn’t want to let the journalist down, but did ensure I socially distanced and wore a mask except when my photograph was being taken,” he said. “This was an error of judgement.”
The International Tennis Writers Association said it was deeply concerned Djokovic did not inform L’Equipe’s team that he had tested positive. “As journalists, we take great care to adhere to all Covid-19 rules in place and we would expect all players to do the same,” its co-presidents said in a statement.
Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic practices at Melbourne Park as questions remain over the legal battle regarding his visa to play in the Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia, January 12, 2022. REUTERS/Loren Elliott
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Djokovic said he would not comment more on the vaccine controversy out of respect for Australian authorities. “I just want to have the opportunity to compete (there),” he posted.
Djokovic’s visa was initially cancelled on grounds he was unvaccinated and his exemption – based on having COVID-19 last month – was deemed unsatisfactory.
He denied media reports he also knew he was infected when he attended a Dec. 17 event in Belgrade to present awards to children.
“I was asymptomatic and felt good, and I had not received the notification of a positive PCR result until after that event,” he said, adding that a rapid antigen test before the event was negative.
However, in an affidavit to an Australian court, Djokovic said he was diagnosed on Dec. 16, the day before.
‘ARROGANT, SELFISH INDIVIDUAL’
Fans, including many Serbian Australians, gave him noisy support when he was detained, anti-vaxxers have hailed him as a hero, and his family have portrayed him as a champion for individual rights.
But Djokovic may face hostility from the crowd if and when he walks out on court. read more
Australians are battling a wave of the Omicron variant and Melbourne has endured one of the world’s strictest lockdowns.
“If an unvaccinated man with untenable views on the science of immunology, who chooses to mix with children without even a mask one day after testing positive to COVID-19, is inexplicably allowed to compete in a sporting event in Melbourne, the holders of tickets to the Australian Open should demand an immediate refund,” a The Age reader, Dr David Edgar, wrote to the Melbourne-based newspaper.
His was one among a series of mainly angry letters.
There may also be resentment in the dressing room, where all but three of the top 100 men are inoculated
With sensitivities heightened as governments and medics worldwide push vaccination as the only way out of the pandemic, Australia’s top-rating TV network unwittingly revealed passions behind the scenes.
Two Seven West Media anchors were caught in an expletive-laden “hot mic” off-air conversation condemning Djokovic as sneaky. read more
There was at last some sympathy on the streets though.
“I’m desperately waiting for him to just come onto the court and play in front of Australian people and entertain us, that’s it,” said Nick Shukla, also in Melbourne.
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Reporting by Sonali Paul and Courtney Walsh in Melbourne; Byron Kaye in Sydney; Aleksandar Vasovic in Belgrade; Simon Jennings in Bengaluru; Writing by Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Angus MacSwan and John Stonestreet
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Djokovic travelled across Europe before Australia trip, at odds with declaration
BELGRADE, Jan 12 (Reuters) – Novak Djokovic was in Serbia in the two weeks before flying to the Australian Open from Spain, according to three Belgrade residents, whose accounts to Reuters backed social media posts that contradict information contained in his immigration declaration on arrival in Melbourne.
The accounts from two eyewitnesses and another individual, obtained by Reuters on Tuesday and previously unreported, corroborated earlier social media posts that appear to show Djokovic in Belgrade less than two weeks before he headed to Spain and then on to Australia.
These accounts of his travel history are at odds with a declaration submitted as part of immigration formalities for Djokovic’s entry to Australia that stated he had not travelled in the 14 days prior to leaving for Australia.
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Giving false or misleading information in the form is an offence, carrying a maximum penalty of 12 months in prison, and a fine of up to 6,600 Australian dollars (US$4,730) and can lead to cancellation of the offender’s visa.
Djokovic, the world number one in men’s tennis, is in Australia to play in next week’s Australian Open. The federal government cancelled his visa when he landed, on the grounds he has not had a COVID-19 vaccination and his medical exemption was not satisfactory.
A judge on Monday quashed that decision after Djokovic made a successful legal challenge. But the Australian government said it was considering whether to use discretionary powers to cancel Djokovic’s visa.
Two representatives for Djokovic, and his Australian lawyers, did not respond to emailed requests for comment on his movements in the 14 days before Jan. 5, and about the information given in the immigration form.
Djokovic’s father, Srdjan Djokovic, responding to Reuters questions, sent a statement which said: “If anything had not been cleared up as some journalists stipulate, the verdict would have been different.”
Three separate social media posts have purported to show Djokovic photos and video of Djokovic in Belgrade and were posted on Dec. 25. It has not been possible to independently verify when and where the images were recorded.
However, two eyewitnesses who spoke to Reuters said they saw the athlete in Belgrade on or after Dec. 24, that is within the 14-day window before his arrival in Australia, via Spain. The two witnesses said they could not recall the exact dates they saw the tennis player. A third person confirmed that video of Djokovic posted on social media was recorded on Dec. 25 in Belgrade.
TRAVEL DECLARATION
Before boarding his Emirates flight to Melbourne, Djokovic – like all travellers to Australia – was required to fill out a form called an Australia Travel Declaration.
Among the questions on that form, Djokovic or his representatives had checked a box stating that he had not, or would not, travel in the 14 days prior to his flight to Australia, according to a copy of the completed form submitted to the Australian federal court by his lawyers as part of his legal challenge.
Djokovic told Australian authorities that when he arrived in Australia on Jan. 5, he had travelled there from Spain, according to documents his lawyers submitted to the court and seen by Reuters.
In order to have not travelled in the 14 days prior to his flight to Australia, Djokovic needed to have been in Spain from Dec. 23 at the latest.
Asked to comment on whether it was investigating if Djokovic’s form contained misleading information, the Australian Border Force said it did not comment on operational matters.
It said that as part of Australia’s response to the COVID-19 Omicron variant, it is an enforceable requirement that travellers, among other things, “make a declaration setting out their travel history for the 14 days before their scheduled flight”.
STREET TENNIS
Part of the evidence placing Djokovic in Serbia within the 14-day window before he went to Australia centres around a video of an impromptu tennis match showing Djokovic playing with an unidentified individual on Dec. 25 on a Belgrade street.
The video posted on the Instagram account of Belgrade real estate executive Igor Rogan showed someone matching Djokovic’s description, wearing jeans and a raincoat, playing tennis in a street. Reuters identified the location as West 65, a high-end apartment complex in Belgrade’s Novi Beograd district. A branch of Rogan’s real estate firm can be seen in the background.
The video was posted on Dec. 25, with a caption saying it was recorded on the same day. When the firm was contacted by Reuters, a female employee at the company where Rogan works said the branch in West 65 was open for business on Dec. 25 and that Rogan recorded the video in Belgrade the same day.
“I remember it was on the Catholic Christmas,” she said. Orthodox Christians, who are the majority in Serbia, celebrate Christmas on Jan. 7. She asked not to be identified. She declined to answer further questions, referring inquiries to Rogan. He told Reuters he did not wish to comment.
The two eyewitnesses who spoke to Reuters, and who declined to be named, said they had seen Djokovic in the vicinity of the same apartment complex.
The accounts the three individuals provided to Reuters support prior posts on social media.
A picture posted on Twitter, also on Dec. 25, by a user called Danilo Skerovic showed Djokovic posing with a fan in front of the same apartment block. The tennis player was wearing the same outfit as he had in the video posted by Rogan, with a tennis racket in one hand and a tennis ball in the other. Skerovic did not respond to messages seeking comment.
Another picture of Djokovic was posted on the same day on the Instagram account of Petar Djordjic, an athlete who plays handball for the Serbian national team and the Portuguese club side S. L. Benfica. The photo showed Djokovic, in the same outfit and against the same backdrop, posing alongside Djordjic. Djordjic did not respond to messages sent on Tuesday to his mobile phone number. S. L. Benfica did not respond to a request for comment.
While being interviewed by an immigration official at Melbourne airport, Djokovic said the Australian travel declaration was completed by his agent, according to a transcript of the interview released as part of the legal challenge. Elena Cappellaro, who acts as his agent, did not respond to a request for comment on whether she completed the form.
Djokovic’s case provoked a row between Canberra and Belgrade and fuelled heated debate over mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies.
Public opinion in Australia, which is battling an Omicron wave of infections and where more than 90% of the adult population is double vaccinated, has been largely against the player. Serbian supporters of the tennis player alleged he was being made a scapegoat by the Australian authorities.
(One Australian $ = US$0.72)
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Additional reporting by Ivana Sekularac, Leela de Kretser, Sonali Paul, Aislinn Lang and Belen Carreno; Writing by Christian Lowe, Editing by Angus MacSwan and Jon Boyle
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Djokovic free but Australia deportation threat still looms
MELBOURNE, Jan 11 (Reuters) – Novak Djokovic on Tuesday warmed up for his bid to win a record 21st tennis major at next week’s Australian Open, hitting practice shots at Melbourne Park, but he still faces the threat of deportation from the country.
A week after he arrived in Australia, Djokovic finally reached the tennis court after a judge on Monday quashed the federal government’s decision to cancel his visa.
But the world number one could still be detained by the federal government for a second time and deported. Immigration Minister Alex Hawke’s office said he was still considering whether to use his discretionary power to cancel Djokovic’s visa.
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“In line with due process, Minister Hawke will thoroughly consider the matter,” a spokesman said, declining to comment further due to legal reasons.
Australia has a policy barring non-citizens or non-residents from entry unless they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. It allows for medical exemptions but the government argued that Djokovic, who is not vaccinated, did not provide adequate justification for an exemption.
The court ruled Djokovic was treated unfairly by border force officials on his arrival and ordered his visa cancellation be overturned. It did not, however, address whether his exemption – based on Djokovic contracting COVID-19 last month – was valid.
Djokovic’s plight drew international attention, creating a row between Canberra and Belgrade and fuelling heated debate over mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies.
Public opinion in Australia, which is battling an Omicron wave of infections and where more than 90% of the adult population is double vaccinated, has been largely against the player. Melbourne endured the world’s longest lockdown and Victoria state has Australia’s highest number of COVID-19 deaths.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s office said he spoke with Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic on Monday and explained Australia’s non-discriminatory border policy. Serbian media reports said Brnabic emphasised the importance of Djokovic being able to prepare for the tournament.
Djokovic, who expressed his gratitude to the judge and his determination to compete at the first major of the year in a Twitter post on Monday, did not publicly address the situation on Tuesday.
He was filmed by media helicopters practicing at Rod Laver Arena amid tight security at Melbourne Park. He was also confirmed as top seed for the event.
The ATP, the governing body of men’s tennis, applauded the court ruling, saying the dispute was “damaging on all fronts, including for Novak’s well-being and preparation for the Australian Open”.
OPPOSITION TO VACCINATION
Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic practices ahead of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, January 11, 2022. Tennis Australia/Scott Barbour/Handout via REUTERS
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Djokovic was detained by border officials when he landed at Melbourne airport last Wednesday night. His visa was cancelled because he failed to provide appropriate evidence to meet entry requirements, border officials said.
However, in quashing that decision, Judge Anthony Kelly was critical of the hours-long airport interview and said the player had not been given enough time to contact lawyers and tennis officials to discuss his predicament.
Djokovic had been granted a medical exemption by the Victoria state government based on evidence he contracted COVID-19 last month – the second time he had been infected. The player, who has long opposed mandatory vaccination, confirmed during the interview he was unvaccinated.
Some Australian media reported that Australian Border Force was investigating potential discrepancies in the traveller form submitted by Djokovic and his whereabouts in the days before he arrived in Australia.
In the document submitted to court Djokovic ticked “no” when asked he had been overseas in the 14 days prior. Social media posts, however, appeared to show him in Belgrade on Christmas Day and in Spain on Dec. 31.
The Australian Border Force did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Djokovic’s lawyers at Hall & Wilcox declined to comment.
AUSTRALIAN OPEN
The Australian Open begins on Jan. 17. Djokovic has won the tournament, one of four tennis Grand Slams, for the past three years and nine times in all.
Spain’s Rafa Nadal, who is tied on 20 majors with Djokovic and Switzerland’s Roger Federer, called the fraught build-up to the tournament a “circus” and said the “fairest decision” had been made.
Nick Kyrgios said while he supported vaccination he felt “embarrassed as an Australian athlete, seeing what this guy has done for us and the sport”.
However, former American player turned pundit Pam Shriver warned on Twitter the controversy may not be over: “If he plays the booing will be deafening.”
Melbourne resident Keith Moore told Reuters: “We’ve had to go through vaccination protocols and lockdowns for such a long time and he swans in and pretty much does what he likes because he’s the world best tennis player.”
John Alexander, a member of Morrison’s Liberal Party and a former professional tennis player, said a new decision to deport Djokovic would diminish the status of the Australian Open.
“We had previously been the poor cousin of the four events,” he said. “We’ve got a lot going for us, but we need to treat it carefully.”
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Reporting by Reuters bureaus; Writing by Jane Wardell; editing by Richard Pullin, Michael Perry and Angus MacSwan
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Djokovic back in practice after winning appeal to stay in Australia
MELBOURNE, Jan 10 (Reuters) – World tennis number one Novak Djokovic tweeted a picture of himself practicing at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena hours after winning a court challenge on Monday to remain in Australia.
The fight over his medical exemption from COVID-19 vaccination may not be over, however, as the Australian government said it was still considering another move to deport him.
“I am pleased and grateful that the judge overturned my visa cancellation,” Djokovic wrote on Twitter. “Despite all that has happened I want to stay and try to compete at the Australian Open.”
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Earlier Judge Anthony Kelly had ruled the federal government’s decision last week to revoke the Serbian tennis star’s visa amid was “unreasonable” and ordered his release.
“Novak is free and just a moment ago he went to the tennis court to practice,” Djokovic’s brother Djordje told a family news conference in Belgrade. “He’s out there to set another record.”
Djokovic himself, who arrived in Australia last week in pursuit of a record 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open from Jan. 17, had spent the day at his lawyers’ chambers.
There were chaotic scenes on Monday evening as supporters who had gathered outside the lawyers’ office chanting “Free Novak!” surged around a black car with tinted windows leaving the building, while police at one stage used pepper spray as they tried to clear a path. read more
A spokesman for Immigration Minister Alex Hawke said he was considering using his broad discretionary powers he is given by Australia’s Migration Act to again revoke Djokovic’s visa.
The controversy has been closely followed around the world, creating diplomatic tensions between Belgrade and Canberra and sparking heated debate over national vaccination rules.
Serbia’s parliamentary speaker, Ivica Dacic, said he was concerned Hawke could still deport Djokovic, a move that would bar the 34-year-old from the country for three years.
“The process should have ended when the court ruled on the matter,” Dacic told Serbia’s Happy TV. “It defies common sense.”
COURT ‘CIRCUS’
Spanish rival Rafa Nadal called the drama surrounding the build-up to the tournament a “circus”.
A supporter of Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic holds his photo during a rally outside the Park Hotel, where the star athlete is believed to be held while he stays in Australia, in Melbourne, Australia, January 9, 2022. REUTERS/Loren Elliott
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“Whether or not I agree with Djokovic on some things, justice has spoken and has said that he has the right to participate in the Australian Open and I think it is the fairest decision,” Nadal told Spanish radio Onda Cero.
The authorities’ efforts to let the media and public follow events in court at times descended into farce, with pranksters hijacking internet links to stream loud music and porn.
Judge Kelly said he had quashed the decision to block Djokovic’s entry to Australia because the player was not given enough time to speak to tennis organisers and lawyers to respond fully after he was notified of the intent to cancel his visa.
Officials at Melbourne’s airport, where Djokovic had been detained on arrival late on Wednesday, reneged on an agreement to give Djokovic until 8.30 a.m. to speak to tournament organiser Tennis Australia and lawyers, Kelly said.
Djokovic was instead woken by officials around 6.00 a.m. after a brief rest and said he felt pressured to respond. The player, long an opponent of mandatory vaccination, told border officials he was unvaccinated and had had COVID-19 twice, according to a transcript of the interview.
MEDICAL EXEMPTION
Kelly earlier told the court it appeared Djokovic had sought and received the required medical exemption from COVID-19 vaccination on the basis that he had contracted the virus last month. He had presented evidence of this before he travelled to Melbourne and when he landed on Wednesday evening.
“What more could this man have done?” Kelly said.
Kelly’s ruling did not directly address the issue of whether the exemption on the grounds of an infection in the past six months was valid, which the government had disputed.
Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said earlier that his organisation had spoken with federal and state officials for months to ensure the safe passage of players. Tennis Australia did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Though news of the ruling was greeted with drums and dancing by around 50 supporters outside the Melbourne court, wider public opinion in Australia, where more than 90% of the adult population is double vaccinated, has been largely against the player.
Emotions ran particularly high in Melbourne, which has experienced the world’s longest cumulative lockdown.
The country’s COVID-19 cases surpassed 1 million on Monday, with more than half recorded in the past week, driving up hospitalisation numbers, straining supply chains and overloading testing facilities.
The saga kicked off when Djokovic posted a photo of himself leaning on his luggage on Instagram last Tuesday, telling the world he was headed to Australia with a vaccination exemption.
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Reporting by Sonali Paul and Ian Ransom in Melbourne and Ivana Sekularac and Zoran Milosavljevic in Belgrade; additional reporting by Byron Kaye, Cordelia Hsu, Loren Elliott and John Mair; Writing by Jane Wardell and Alex Richardson; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Hugh Lawson
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Australia rushes to file defence of Djokovic ban as court battle looms
MELBOURNE, Jan 9 (Reuters) – Australian authorities scrambled on Sunday to file a legal defence of their decision to bar entry to tennis world number one Novak Djokovic over his COVID-19 vaccination status, as the Serbian superstar spent his fourth day in immigration detention.
Djokovic was hoping to win his 21st Grand Slam at the Australian Open, starting next week, but instead of training has been confined to a hotel used to accommodate asylum seekers. He is challenging the decision to cancel his visa after being stopped on arrival at Melbourne Airport early on Thursday.
A vocal opponent of vaccine mandates, Djokovic had declined to reveal his vaccination status or reason for seeking a medical exemption from Australia’s vaccine rules. He broke his silence on Saturday with a legal challenge saying he had been granted an exemption due to contracting – and recovering from – the virus in December.
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The Melbourne drama has rocked world tennis, caused tensions between Serbia and Australia and become a flashpoint for opponents of vaccine mandates around the world.
Australia says its health department notified tournament organising body Tennis Australia in November that a recent COVID-19 infection was not necessarily grounds for exemption in the country, as it is elsewhere. Djokovic’s lawsuit says the Department of Home Affairs wrote to him this month to say he had satisfied the requirements to enter the country.
Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said in his first media interview since the furore began that his organisation had spoken with federal and state officials for months to ensure the safe passage of players.
“Primarily because there is (so) much contradictory information the whole time, every single week we were talking to Home Affairs, we were talking to all parts of government to ensure that … we were doing the right thing and (following) the right process with these exemptions,” Tiley told Channel Nine television.
“The conflicting information, and the contradictory information we received, was because of the changing environment. We are in a challenging environment.”
Home Affairs, which was due to file its defence on Sunday, requested a delay of the matter’s hearing from Monday to Wednesday, a court representative told Reuters. The application was rejected, according to a ruling on the federal court’s website.
Djokovic’s lawyers will have up to two hours to present their case from 10 a.m. (0300 GMT) on Monday, while the government department gets two hours to present its defence from 3 p.m., the Federal Circuit and Family Court ruled.
A Home Affairs spokesperson was not immediately available for comment about its legal defence.
Supporters of Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic rally outside the Park Hotel, where the star athlete is believed to be held while he stays in Australia, in Melbourne, Australia, January 9, 2022. REUTERS/Loren Elliott
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SPOTLIGHT ON REFUGEES
Health Minister Greg Hunt, asked about the furore at a media conference on Sunday, declined to comment since it was before the court, but noted that several other people involved in the tournament had their visas revoked.
Finance Minister Simon Birmingham, asked about the matter on Channel 9 television, said without referring directly to Djokovic that “there’s a clear difference between visas and entry requirements” and “entry requirements … sit over and above the visa conditions”.
Czech player Renata Voracova, who was detained in the same detention hotel as Djokovic and had her visa revoked after issues with her vaccine exemption, left the country without challenging her status, the Czech Foreign Ministry said.
Djokovic’s situation has drawn an unlikely crowd to the modest Melbourne hotel which, until this month, was best known for media reports about asylum seeker occupants claiming they were served food containing maggots.
Anti-vaccine protesters, refugee advocates and Djokovic fans have converged outside the building, which is under police guard.
“We are sorry that he has been detained, but we ask you: why does it take the presence of a celebrity to bring attention to our plight?” said Bangladeshi refugee Mohammad Joy Miah, who has been at the facility since 2020.
Since the hotel’s windows don’t open, Miah gave his speech over the phone, which a supporter projected through a megaphone at a protest outside the facility on Sunday.
Home Affairs was not immediately available to respond to Miah’s comments.
Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said Djokovic had been given gluten-free food, tools to exercise and a SIM card to stay in contact with the outside world.
“It’s a positive tone from the Australian side. The Serbian government is ready to provide all the guarantees necessary for Novak to be allowed to enter Australia, the Serbian president is also involved,” Brnabic said.
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Reporting by Courtney Walsh in Melbourne and Byron Kaye in Sydney; Editing by Paul Simao, William Mallard and Ana Nicolaci da Costa
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Djokovic in limbo in hotel for detained asylum seekers as lawyers fight Australia ban
MELBOURNE, Jan 6 (Reuters) – Novak Djokovic faced at least 72 hours holed up in a Melbourne hotel for immigration detainees after he was denied entry into Australia on Thursday amid a political firestorm over hismedical exemption from COVID-19 vaccination requirements.
The tennis star, who is chasing a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam at the Australian Open, remained in the country after his lawyers launched an appeal seeking to overturn the federal government decision. A court agreed not to deport him before a full hearing scheduled for Monday.
The saga, fuelled by domestic political point-scoring about the country’s handling of a record surge in new COVID-19 infections, has led to an international row, with Serbia’s president claiming his nation’s most celebrated sportsman was being harassed.
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Djokovic’s family on Thursday held a rally in front of Serbia’s parliament building in Belgrade, with around 300 fans, some draped in Serbian flags, chanting slogans in support of their idol. His father told the crowd the protests would be held every day until his son was released.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison defended the decision to deny Djokovic entry at a televised news briefing.
“There are no special cases, rules are rules,” he said. “We will continue to make the right decisions when it comes to securing Australian borders in relation to this pandemic.”
Spanish champion Rafael Nadal told reporters in Melbourne that he felt sorry for his rival “but at the same time, he knew the conditions since a lot of months ago.”
Djokovic, who has consistently refused to disclose his vaccination status while publicly criticising mandatory vaccines, kicked off the furore when he said on Instagram on Tuesday he had received a medical exemption to compete in the Open starting Jan. 17.
The announcement prompted an outcry in Australia, particularly in the tournament host city of Melbourne, which has endured the world’s longest cumulative lockdown to ward off the coronavirus.
COURT BATTLE
At a hearing in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia on Thursday evening, lawyers for Djokovic and the government agreed the player could remain in the country until at least Monday.
Djokovic’s fate is tied to a political fight in Australia, characterised by fingerpointing between Morrison’s conservative administration and the left-leaning Victoria state government.
The squabbles rumbled on as Australia’s daily COVID-19 infections hit a record high for the fourth consecutive day, overwhelming hospitals and causing labour shortages. read more
Under Australia’s federal system, states and territories can issue exemptions from vaccination requirements to enter their jurisdictions. However, the federal government controls international borders and can challenge such exemptions.
Djokovic received his exemption from the Victorian government – for reasons that are not known – which supported his federal government-issued visa.
Tennis – Davis Cup Finals – Group F – Serbia v Austria – Olympiahalle, Innsbruck, Austria – November 26, 2021 Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in action during his match against Austria’s Dennis Novak REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger
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On his arrival, however, Federal Border Force officials at the airport said Djokovic was unable to justify the grounds for his exemption.
The Australian task force that sets the exemption parameters lists the risk of serious cardiac illness from inoculation and a COVID-19 infection in the past six months as qualifiers. But Morrison said Tennis Australia had been advised weeks ago that a recent infection did not meet the criteria for exemption.
Tennis Australia and Victoria government officials said Djokovic had received no preferential treatment.
With the Open to start on Jan. 17, Nick Wood, a lawyer for Djokovic, earlier told Judge Anthony Kelly that Tennis Australia had advised they needed to know about his participation in the tournament by Tuesday.
In response, Kelly, who had asked when Djokovic was scheduled to play his first match, said: “If I can say with the respect necessary, the tail won’t be wagging the dog here.”
‘NOT HUMAN AND NOT FAIR’
The move by the Australian government to block Djokovic’s entry has caused ructions between Canberra and Belgrade.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Twitter he had spoken with Djokovic and accused the Australian government of harassment.
“This persecution is unfair, starting with the Australian prime minister,” he later told Serbian media. “They are acting as if the same set of rules apply to everyone, but they’ve let in others on the same grounds that Novak had applied to.”
Morrison said he was aware “representations have been made” by the Serbian embassy in Canberra but denied accusations of harassment.
Djokovic’s father Srdjan told media in Serbia that his son was ushered into an isolation room under police guard when he arrived at Melbourne’s Tullamarine airport late on Wednesday after a 14-hour flight from Dubai.
His family held an emotional news conference at Djokovic’s restaurant in Belgrade, with his nine previous Australian Open trophies on display, before protesting in front of parliament.
“They are keeping him in captivity. They are stomping all over Novak to stomp all over Serbia,” said his father, who earlier described his son to local media as “the Spartacus of the new world”.
There was also support on the streets of the Serbian capital.
“He is the best in the history of that sport and they cannot break him in any other way but this one. But they are not going to break him,” said Belgrade resident Zdravko Cukic.
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Reporting by Courtney Walsh in Melbourne and John Mair in Sydney; Additional reporting by Ivana Sekularac and Zoran Milosavljevic in Belgrade; Writing by Jane Wardell and Alex Richardson; Editing by Stephen Coates, Simon Cameron-Moore and Hugh Lawson
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.