Professional tennis player Novak Djokovic was denied entry into Australia after he claimed to have a COVID-19 vaccine medical exemption.
The 34-year-old tennis pro from Serbia was hoping to defend his title in the Australian Open.
His previous announcement of his exemption drew the ire of many Australians–whose country had suffered through some of the longest periods of lockdowns.
However, due to strict travel restrictions Down Under, border control officers detained the tennis star at Melbourne airport before ultimately ruling to cancel his visa.
The important thing to remember about Novak Djokovic being denied entry to Australia after spending a day in the airport thinking he was more important than everyone else is that it is incredibly funny.— TechnicallyRon (@TechnicallyRon) 1641418146
On Tuesday, Djokovic, who has continually been evasive about his vaccination status, posted an optimistic tweet about traveling to Australia with an "exemption permission" in the hopes of seeking a record 21st Grand Slam singles title.
Happy New Year! Wishing you all health, love & joy in every moment & may you feel love & respect towards all beings on this wonderful planet.\n\nI\u2019ve spent fantastic quality time with loved ones over break & today I\u2019m heading Down Under with an exemption permission. Let\u2019s go 2022!pic.twitter.com/e688iSO2d4— Novak Djokovic (@Novak Djokovic) 1641293718
Australian Open organizers issued a statement stating Djokovic will be allowed to compete in the tournament, which starts on January 17.
The organizers' statement read:
“Djokovic applied for a medical exemption which was granted following a rigorous review process involving two separate independent panels of medical experts."
"One of those was the Independent Medical Exemption Review Panel appointed by the Victorian Department of Health. They assessed all applications to see if they met the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation guidelines.”
Grounds for Djokovic's medical exemption have not been publicly disclosed.
Now that he's been denied entry, Djokovic plans to challenge the decision made by Australia’s Borce Force.
He remains held in Melbourne as his appeal has been adjourned until Monday, January 10 at 10 a.m, according to court officials.
Australian prime minister Scott Morrison took to Twitter announcing the cancellation of Djokovic's visa, saying there would be no exception to the country's border rules.
"Mr Djokovic’s visa has been cancelled. Rules are rules, especially when it comes to our borders. No one is above these rules," Morrison said, adding:
"Our strong border policies have been critical to Australia having one of the lowest death rates in the world from COVID, we are continuing to be vigilant.”
Mr Djokovic\u2019s visa has been cancelled. Rules are rules, especially when it comes to our borders. No one is above these rules. Our strong border policies have been critical to Australia having one of the lowest death rates in the world from COVID, we are continuing to be vigilant.— Scott Morrison (@Scott Morrison) 1641419815
In the meantime, Twitter users mocked the tennis star with an abundance of memes.
Kicking off the slew of memes was this Photoshopped image of Roger Federer.
pic.twitter.com/Ze2VYnvfZi— Ian Brannan (@Ian Brannan) 1641418353
Message to Novak Djokovicpic.twitter.com/U5Jv35IIoJ— Ian Ford (@Ian Ford) 1641418610
Novak Djokovic's tennis shoes finding out they won't be participating in the Australian Open.pic.twitter.com/jRY5CT3CeF— Nick Walker (@Nick Walker) 1641421858
His circumstances were reminiscent of the events depicted in Steven Spielberg's 2004 film, The Terminal, starring Tom Hanks.
pic.twitter.com/423yWMFfo6— oddy (@oddy) 1641418343
More ridicule continued.
More like NoVax Djokovic, right?pic.twitter.com/AFhawOCe8C— Greg Evans (@Greg Evans) 1641420299
\u201cWait a minute, this isn\u2019t sufficient evidence for an exemption\u201dpic.twitter.com/yotb7Wy6CQ— Greg Johnson (@Greg Johnson) 1641419551
https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1478843912198529028\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/fAKoYb0MqU— Alex Hess (@Alex Hess) 1641419935
Novak Djokovic supporters take to the streets of Melbourne.pic.twitter.com/7lAXrLaVsI— Titus O'Reily (@Titus O'Reily) 1641418037
No Visa, No travel Mr. Djokovic!pic.twitter.com/IuFwkptrN4— Sina Neuhauser (@Sina Neuhauser) 1641420094
#Djokovicpic.twitter.com/Iv4DLUXXAV— GuillaumeTC (@GuillaumeTC) 1641422162
Unlucky @DjokerNole Flight home?pic.twitter.com/D8mpNq4jEB— Ryanair (@Ryanair) 1641419713
While Djokovic remains mum about whether or not he's been inoculated with a COVID-19 vaccine, he previously revealed his anti-vax stance during a live Facebook chat with fellow Serbian athletes.
The Guardian reported that in 2020, Djokovic said:
“Personally I am opposed to vaccination and I wouldn’t want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine in order to be able to travel. But if it becomes compulsory, what will happen? I will have to make a decision.”
“I have my own thoughts about the matter and whether those thoughts will change at some point, I don’t know."
