Novak Djokovic Is Refused Entry Into Australia Over Vaccine Exemption

In a statement Thursday, the Australian Border Force pledged to “continue to ensure that those who arrive at our border comply with our laws and entry requirements. The ABF can confirm that Mr. Djokovic failed to provide appropriate evidence to meet the entry requirements to Australia, and his visa has been subsequently canceled.”

For Djokovic, it was the latest and arguably the most wrenching controversy in a career that has been filled with them, nearly all which have been brought on by the behavior of a champion who can be as willful and unbending off the court as he is on it.

Djokovic has never been shy about expressing his nontraditional views of science and medicine (he once voiced support for the idea that prayer and belief could purify toxic water), and he has stated on multiple occasions his opposition to vaccine mandates, saying vaccination is a private and personal decision that should not be mandated. However, he had not revealed until this week whether he had been vaccinated.

On Tuesday, he announced on Twitter that he had received a medical exemption from the requirement that all people entering the country be vaccinated or quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. He later boarded a plane bound for Australia from Dubai.

In a statement later that day, Craig Tiley, the chief executive of Tennis Australia, explained that players seeking an exemption had to pass muster with two panels of medical experts. The process included the redaction of personal information to ensure privacy.

“Fair and independent protocols were established for assessing medical exemption applications that will enable us to ensure Australian Open 2022 is safe and enjoyable for everyone,” Tiley said. “Central to this process was that the decisions were made by independent medical experts and that every applicant was given due consideration.”

Djokovic landed at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport around 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday. By then, he had become the central figure in a firestorm over how he had received permission to enter Australia, which is experiencing an startling rise in Covid-19 cases.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/05/sports/tennis/novak-djokovic-australia-visa.html