TIMELINE: Novak Djokovic's bid to compete at Australian Open

2 years ago 309

The Australian authorities connected Friday revoked tennis prima Novak Djokovic's visa for a 2nd time, conscionable 3 days earlier the Australian Open begins.

Djokovic’s lawyers are expected to entreaty the cancellation successful the Federal Circuit and Family Court, arsenic they successfully did the archetypal time.

Melbourne-based migration lawyer Kian Bone said that Djokovic’s lawyers look an “extremely difficult” task to get tribunal orders implicit the play to let their lawsuit to play adjacent week.

His exemption from a COVID-19 vaccination request to vie was approved by the Victoria authorities authorities and Tennis Australia, which seemingly allowed him to person a visa to travel.

Here is simply a look astatine the timeline of events involving Djokovic's travel to Australia:

___

April 2020: As the coronavirus pandemic rages, Djokovic issues a statement, saying, “Personally I americium opposed to the vaccination against COVID-19 successful bid to beryllium capable to travel. But if it becomes compulsory, I volition person to marque a determination whether to bash it, oregon not.”

June 2020: With the nonrecreational tennis tours connected hiatus due to the fact that of the pandemic, Djokovic organizes a bid of accumulation matches successful Serbia and Croatia with nary rules requiring societal distancing oregon masking. The Adria Tour is called disconnected aft immoderate players get COVID-19; Djokovic and his wife, Jelena, trial positive.

Nov. 19, 2021: Confirming an edict made by the Victorian authorities authorities successful precocious October, tourney manager Craig Tiley says everyone astatine the 2022 Australian Open indispensable beryllium vaccinated for COVID-19. Djokovic's vaccine presumption is chartless astatine the time.

Dec. 8, 2021: Victoria authorities Deputy Premier James Merlino says aesculapian exemptions for the vaccine argumentation would not beryllium “a loophole for privileged tennis players” and would lone beryllium imaginable successful “exceptional circumstances, if you person an acute aesculapian condition.”

Dec. 14, 2021: Djokovic attends a nonrecreational hoops crippled successful Belgrade and is photographed hugging respective players from some teams, including immoderate who aboriginal tested positive.

Dec. 16, 2021: Djokovic tests affirmative for COVID-19 successful Serbia, though that is not nationalist cognition until revealed by tribunal documents successful January. He aboriginal says helium did not cognize the effect until Dec. 17.

Dec. 17, 2021: Djokovic attends an lawsuit successful Belgrade honoring younker tennis players. Parents station photos connected societal media showing Djokovic and the young players without masks. Djokovic aboriginal says helium was asymptomatic, took an antigen trial earlier the lawsuit that showed helium was negative, and lone received the affirmative PCR effect aft the event.

Dec. 18, 2021: Knowing helium tested positive, Djokovic does an interrogation and photograph sprout with the French paper L'Equipe. He acknowledges weeks later: “On reflection, this was an mistake of judgement.”

Dec. 22, 2021: According to tribunal documents, Djokovic tests antagonistic for COVID-19 successful Serbia.

Dec. 29, 2021: Djokovic withdraws from Serbia's squad for the ATP Cup, days earlier the contention is owed to statesman successful Sydney. No crushed is given.

Jan. 1, 2022: Tiley is asked successful a TV interrogation astir Djokovic's presumption for the Australian Open and responds: “There’s rather a spot to play retired and I deliberation it volition play retired successful the coming days.”

Jan. 4, 2022: Djokovic posts connected Instagram a photograph of himself astatine an airdrome with a caption that reads, successful part: “I’m heading Down Under with an exemption permission.” Tennis Australia follows with a connection confirming Djokovic is connected his mode to the state with a aesculapian exemption “granted pursuing a rigorous reappraisal process involving 2 abstracted autarkic panels of aesculapian experts.” Neither Djokovic nor Tennis Australia reveals the ground for his exemption. Tiley says a “handful” of exemptions had been granted retired of 26 applications from players oregon others. A nationalist outcry bubbles up connected societal media among Australians portion Djokovic's formation to Melbourne is successful the air.

Jan. 5, 2022: Djokovic arrives astatine Melbourne Tullamarine Airport.

Jan. 6, 2022: After being detained for astir 8 hours upon arrival, Djokovic is denied introduction to the state and his visa is canceled. He is sent to an migration hotel, wherever helium remains for 4 nights. The Australian Border Force says Djokovic failed to conscionable introduction requirements. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison tweets: “Rules are rules, particularly erstwhile it comes to our borders.”

Jan. 10, 2022: As portion of his ineligible attempt to overturn the visa cancellation, Djokovic submits an affidavit that says helium is not vaccinated for COVID-19. Federal Circuit Court Judge Anthony Kelly reinstates Djokovic’s visa, ruling the subordinate was not fixed capable clip to talk to his lawyers earlier the determination to contradict him introduction was made astatine the airport. Kelly orders the authorities to merchandise Djokovic from migration detention. Hours later, Djokovic practices astatine Melbourne Park.

Jan. 11, 2022: With his presumption inactive uncertain, Djokovic is installed arsenic the No. 1 effect for the men's tract astatine the Australian Open. The tourney strictly follows the existent rankings successful determining seedings and Djokovic is ranked No. 1; helium has spent much weeks atop the ATP than immoderate different antheral successful the past of the men's nonrecreational tour's computerized rankings.

Jan. 12, 2022: Djokovic's most extended nationalist comments connected the substance travel via a station connected societal media that is enactment up by idiosyncratic portion helium is practicing astatine the Australian Open's main stadium. He acknowledges a mistake connected his question declaration for Australia, which failed to bespeak that helium had been successful aggregate countries implicit the anterior 2 weeks. Djokovic blames his cause for checking the incorrect container connected the form, calling it “a quality mistake and surely not deliberate.” He besides clarifies the timing of his affirmative COVID-19 trial from December and consequent whereabouts.

Jan. 13, 2022: Djokovic is included successful the Australian Open draw. He is slated to play chap Serb Miomir Kecmanovic successful the opening circular adjacent week.

Jan. 14, 2022: Immigration Minister Alex Hawke says helium utilized his ministerial discretion to revoke Djokovic's visa connected “health and bully bid grounds, connected the ground that it was successful the nationalist involvement to bash so.”

Jan. 17, 2022: Play is scheduled to statesman astatine Melbourne Park. The men's singles last is Jan. 30.

More AP Tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Read Entire Article