- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
News that world number one Novak Djokovic is facing deportation from Australia after his visa was revoked by the government is causing minds to melt across the planet.
Djokovic’s arrival down under was already a point of major controversy, with the divisive 20-time grand slam champion’s earning of a medical exception to play in the Australian Open and remain unvaccinated leading to outrage around the country. However, the latest drama has seen that outrage extend to the rest of the world as well.
Leading the charge is Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic, who posted to his official Instagram account that he had spoken with Djokovic, and will be working with him to ‘stop the harassment of the best tennis player in the world’.
Serbia’s President has spoken with Novak @sunriseon7 @7NewsMelbourne @7NewsAustralia pic.twitter.com/hv1IlMT09r
— Nathan Currie (@NathanJCurrie) January 5, 2022
This really is escalating into a diplomatic row now. The Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic has spoken with Djokovic over the telephone and said that "Serbia is doing everything to see that the harassment of Novak Djokovic is brought to an end immediately".
— Stuart Fraser (@stu_fraser) January 5, 2022
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has also weighed in on social media, claiming that it is the federal border force who have prevented Djokovic from entering Australia.
Mr Djokovic’s 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 (@ScottMorrisonMP) January 5, 2022
However, anonymous Twitter account PRGuy, which has become renowned through the pandemic for its unwavering support of Dan Andrews’ Victorian state government, fired right back, claiming that the federal government had asked for Djokovic to receive an exemption to play the night before, only for it to be knocked back.
LAST YEAR Daniel Andrews made it crystal clear in no uncertain terms that his government would not be seeking exemptions for anti-vaxxer tennis star divas. Last night the Morrison Government quietly asked Victoria to do that three times. The Victorian Government refused. #auspol
— PRGuy (@PRGuy17) January 5, 2022
Serbian politicians aren’t the only ones coming out in support of Djokovic; Australian basketball great Andrew Bogut, no stranger to controversy in this pandemic either, laying the blame for the situation at the feet of ‘bumbling politicians who couldnt organise a root in a brothel’.
Welcome international media re:Djokovic.
Now you see what the people of Australia have had to deal with for 2 years straight.
Mask-Dont mask.Vax-Not that brand tho. PCR-No RAT. Open/close border.
A country full of bumbling politicians who couldnt organise a root in a brothel.
— Andrew Bogut (@andrewbogut) January 5, 2022
Plenty of other Australians are also apparently on Djokovic’s side: Twitter account Based Serbia’s shared photo of a message of support for the world number one in Queensland has gone viral.
Meanwhile in Australia ????????@DjokerNole pic.twitter.com/N2vOVpm5PI
— Based Serbia (@SerbiaBased) January 2, 2022
Australian tennis royalty Paul McNamee is also against the treatment of Djokovic, claiming he has been made a scapegoat for his vaccination views and that others are likely in the same boat who have escaped the situation Djokovic finds himself in.
We need to remember one thing… even if you are angry, Novak Djokovic did not set the rules
— ????️ Paul McNamee (@PaulFMcNamee) January 5, 2022
For those asking, all players go through the same visa process overseen by Tennis Australia to play the Australian Open (as non Australians are currently not able to enter). So it beggars belief that Djokovic is the only player that has had his visa granted and then rescinded
— ????️ Paul McNamee (@PaulFMcNamee) January 5, 2022
Fellow tennis player Tennys Sandgren, who won’t be participating in the Australian Open as he is both unwilling to be vaccinated or apply for a medical exception, has given the tournament itself both barrels, saying the ongoing situation is proof ‘Australia doesn’t deserve to host a grand slam’.
Just to be crystal clear here
2 separate medical boards approved his exemption
And politicians are stopping it
Australia doesn’t deserve to host a grand slam https://t.co/3B6lt4u9Mq
— Tennys Sandgren (@TennysSandgren) January 5, 2022
British far-right YouTuber Paul Joseph Watson, who has been permanently banned from Facebook and Instagram for hate speech, has also come out in support of Djokovic, though it’s doubtful having Watson on his side gives Djokovic’s cause any greater respectability.
Novak Djokovic detained for 6 hours, interrogated, treated like a terrorist, all over a vaccine exemption.
An utter disgrace.
This is our collective future if these bastards have their way.
If they can do this to a multi-millionaire superstar, what are they gonna do to you?
— Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) January 5, 2022
However, many have come out in support of the situation, or are seeing the humour in Djokovic having the tables turned on him.
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) January 5, 2022
When will the Border Security episode featuring Novak Djokovic air? Asking for a million friends
— Antoinette Lattouf (@antoinette_news) January 5, 2022
Noted tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg argues that no one other than Djokovic is to blame for the fiasco, saying his choice not to be vaccinated, ‘which he had *months* to do’, is the underlying cause of the situation he finds himself in.
Whatever happens as this unfolds here, this is completely Novak Djokovic’s fault for not getting the vaccine in the first place, which he had *months* to do.
Best case scenario for everyone would have been a vaxxed Novak playing the #AusOpen with no drama. He chose against that.
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) January 5, 2022
Australian sports comedian Titus O’Reily was quick to note Djokovic is unlikely to find too many supporters for his cause in Australia.
Novak Djokovic supporters take to the streets of Melbourne. pic.twitter.com/7lAXrLaVsI
— Titus O'Reily (@TitusOReily) January 5, 2022
Even controversial British TV host Piers Morgan has supported the Australian government’s stance, Tweeting that the country ‘has the right to chuck him out’ for his visa application.
The #Djokovic saga is not about whether you believe in covid vaccines, but whether you believe famous sports stars should play by the same rules as everyone else. He has the right not to be jabbed, and Australia has the right to chuck him out for making a dodgy visa application.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 5, 2022
Flamboyant German tennis player Dustin Brown has also come out against Djokovic, posting that getting vaccinated is a condition of entry into Australia that everyone will simply have to deal with.
???? pic.twitter.com/YTjaBBNXXc
— Dustin Brown (@DreddyTennis) January 5, 2022
Perhaps most concerningly, tennis coach Brad Gilbert used his Twitter to note that Djokovic isn’t the only tennis player set to play at the Open under a medical exemption, which could cause further drama down the road.
just thinking ???? about the few players that are playing now under medical exemption in Australia ????????
— Brad Gilbert (@bgtennisnation) January 5, 2022
Whether it’s aces or races, try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp for great odds and a great punting experience. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.