Australian Open 2022: Novak Djokovic row- Novak Djokovic’s battle to remain in Australia and bid for a record breaking tennis title went to court on Monday, with the star player’s lawyers and the federal government facing off over his controversial COVID-19 vaccination exemption.
Djokovic, who has been held in an immigration detention hotel since his visa was revoked on his arrival at Melbourne’s airport on Wednesday, argues that a recent COVID-19 infection qualified him for the medical exemption from the country’s requirement for all visitors to be double vaccinated.
Australian Open 2022: Novak Djokovic row- The Australian government, however, said non-citizens had no right of guaranteed entry to Australia and stressed that even if the Serbian won the court action, it reserved the right to detain him again and remove him from the country.
The hearing in the Federal Circuit and Family Court began around 10.30 a.m. (2330 GMT Sunday) after Judge Anthony Kelly on the weekend refused a request by the government to delay the hearing until Wednesday. However, technical issues that delayed the start of the virtual hearing also affected a planned live-stream of the session for the public. Court officials said they were working to rectify the problem.
Djokovic, the world number one, is hoping to win a record 21st Grand Slam at the Australian Open, which starts in Melbourne on Jan. 17.
Australian Open 2022: Novak Djokovic row- But instead of training, the Serbian player has been confined in a hotel used for asylum seekers and is challenging the decision to cancel his visa after being stopped on arrival at Melbourne Airport.
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