“In travelling to Melbourne,it’s clear Novak Djokovic believed he had been granted a necessary medical exemption in order to comply with entry regulations,” the ATP said after a judge on Monday overturned the federal government’s decision to cancel Djokovic’s visa,saying he had been treated unfairly by Border Force officials.
As of early Tuesday,however,the threat of deportation still hung over the Serbian’s head after federal Immigration Minister Alex Hawke reserved the right to use his personal discretion under the Migration Act to cancel Djokovic’s visa again.
Nine-time Australian Open champion Djokovic returned to Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena for a late-night training session on Mondayafter the Federal Circuit Court overturned the cancellation of his visa. Via Twitter,he thanked his supporters shortly before hisjubilant family,at a media conference in Belgrade,spoke of “the biggest victory in his career”.
The ATP pointed out that Djokovic’s preparation for the Australian Open,where he is a nine-time winner,had been hindered.
“The series of events leading to Monday’s court hearing have been damaging on all fronts,including for Novak’s wellbeing and preparation for the Australian Open,” they said in a statement.
“Player medical exemption requests are made independently of ATP,however we have been in constant contact with Tennis Australia to seek clarity throughout this process. We welcome the outcome of Monday’s hearing and look forward to an exciting few weeks of tennis ahead.”
Notably,the ATP,while calling for better communication of the rules,noted Australia’s fight against coronavirus.