Djokovic forced to leave Australia after court upholds visa cancellation
Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic was forced to leave Australia on Sunday night around 11:00 p.m. local time after a court ruling upheld the immigration minister's decision to cancel Djokovic's visa, The Washington Post reported.
Djokovic traveled to Australia on Jan. 5 but was denied entry because he has not been vaccinated against COVID-19. After Djokovic, who is the No. 1 ranked men's tennis player in the world, won an initial appeal Monday, Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke invoked his ministerial discretion to cancel Djokovic's visa. According to NPR and the Post, Hawke said the unvaccinated athlete's presence in the country would stoke "anti-vaccination sentiment" and lead to "civil unrest."
For many in Australia and around the world frustrated with travel restrictions and vaccine mandates, Djokovic's case became a rallying point. Scottish tennis player Andy Murray and Brexit mastermind Nigel Farage traded barbs about it on Twitter on Jan. 9 and 10.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Even Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić voiced his support for Djokovic, writing on social media that "the whole of Serbia is with him."
Djokovic, who was scheduled to play his first match of the Australian Open on Monday, said he was "extremely disappointed." The Post explains that Djokovic had the option to appeal his case to Australia's High Court, but "the timing of Sunday's decision — roughly 24 hours before Djokovic was due to take to the tennis court — made another challenge unfeasible."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.
-
Global court issues arrest warrant for Netanyahu
Speed Read The International Criminal Court issued warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who stand accused of war crimes
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Gaetz bows out, Trump pivots to Pam Bondi
Speed Read Gaetz withdrew from attorney generation consideration, making way for longtime Trump loyalist Pam Bondi
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
GOP's Mace seeks federal anti-trans bathroom ban
Speed Read Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina has introduced legislation to ban transgender people from using federal facilities
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Ukraine fires ATACMS, Russia ups hybrid war
Speed Read Ukraine shot U.S.-provided long-range missiles and Russia threatened retaliation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
New York DA floats 4-year Trump sentencing freeze
Speed Read President-elect Donald Trump's sentencing is on hold, and his lawyers are pushing to dismiss the case while he's in office
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Wyoming judge strikes down abortion, pill bans
Speed Read The judge said the laws — one of which was a first-in-the-nation prohibition on the use of medication to end pregnancy — violated the state's constitution
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US sanctions Israeli West Bank settler group
Speed Read The Biden administration has imposed sanctions on Amana, Israel's largest settlement development organization
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Gaetz ethics report in limbo as sex allegations emerge
Speed Read A lawyer representing two women alleges that Matt Gaetz paid them for sex, and one witnessed him having sex with minor
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published