Novak Djokovic was denied entry into Australia and had his visa cancelled, after arriving in Melbourne late on Wednesday, to defend his title at the season-opening tennis major.
The Australian Border Force issued a statement on Thursday saying that Djokovic failed to provide “appropriate evidence to meet entry requirements and has visa has been subsequently cancelled”.
The top-ranked Djokovic had flown in after receiving a medical exemption from the strict vaccination requirements in place for the Australian Open, where he is a nine-time winner.
Australian media reported that Djokovic’s team had applied for the wrong type of visa. It led Serbia’s President to blast the harassment of the 20-time major winner, who spent the night at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport.
Also read: Australian Open head to Djokovic: no vaccine status, no play
The medical exemption had been expected to allow him to play regardless of his vaccination status for COVID-19, something that he has not disclosed, but he also needed to meet strict border regulations to enter the country.
