MELBOURNE (Reuters) – A courtroom choice on Sunday to uphold Novak Djokovic’s Australian visa cancellation was an finish to a “deeply regrettable” collection of occasions and the Serb’s exit from the Australian Open was a loss for the game, males’s tennis governing physique ATP has stated.
Australia was set to deport world primary tennis participant Djokovic after the Federal Court upheld a authorities choice to cancel his visa on the grounds that his choice to not be vaccinated in opposition to COVID-19 posed a danger to the nation.
The choice dominated out the 34-yr-outdated Serb from this yr’s Australian Open, a match he has received a file 9 occasions together with the final three editions.
“Today’s choice to uphold Novak Djokovic’s Australian visa cancellation marks the tip of a deeply regrettable collection of occasions,” the ATP stated in an announcement.
“Ultimately, choices of authorized authorities relating to issues of public well being should be revered. More time is required to take inventory of the info and to take the learnings from this case.”
The Djokovic visa saga has dominated headlines all over the world and fuelled a debate over the rights of people that choose to stay unvaccinated as governments take measures to guard their folks from the 2-yr COVID-19 pandemic.
The males’s tennis governing physique had beforehand stated that 97% of the boys’s prime 100 gamers have been inoculated in opposition to COVID-19. The ATP reiterated that it continues to “strongly advocate” gamers to get vaccinated.
“Irrespective of how this level has been reached, Novak is one in every of our sport’s biggest champions and his absence from the Australian Open is a loss for the game,” the ATP stated.
“We understand how turbulent the current days have been for Novak and the way a lot he needed to defend his title in Melbourne. We want him properly and stay up for seeing him again on courtroom quickly.”
(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly; enhancing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
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