MELBOURNE, Australia — Tennis star Novak Djokovic faced possible deportation from Australia again Friday after the government revoked his visa for the second time.
Immigration Minister Alex Hawke announced that he used ministerial power to cancel the 34-year-old Serb’s visa for reasons of public interest three days before the start of the Australian Open.
Lawyers for the number one in the world are expected to appeal the decision before the Federal Circuit and Family Court, as they did successfully after the first cancellation.
This is the second time Djokovic’s permission has been refused since his arrival in Melbourne last week to defend his Australian Open title.
The government of the state of Victoria, where Melbourne is the venue for the tournament, and Tennis Australia, the organizer of the first major of the year, approved a waiver of the requirement to be vaccinated against COVID-19 so that he could compete. This apparently allowed him to receive a visa to travel.
But the Australian Border Force refused the waiver and canceled the permit upon arrival at the city’s airport. The Serb spent four nights in a migrant detention hotel before a lawyer reversed the decision on Monday.