'Disappointed' Novak Djokovic confirms he won't defend Australian Open title; netizens puzzled
Novak Djokovic is being deported from Australia after losing his visa appeal. He has confirmed he will not participate in the Australian Open 2022. The netizens have been left puzzled.
FollowIt is finally official, as defending champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia will not be competing at the 2022 Australian Open (AO) in Melbourne from Monday. The Federal Court of Australia ruled out his visa cancellation appeal on Sunday. On the same note, the reigning world number one has confirmed his departure from the country, while the netizens have been left puzzled.
Djokovic released a statement immediately after the court's ruling. He confirmed that he would cooperate with the authorities for his departure from Down Under, besides affirming that his dream of defending his crown at the AO is all over. Although he admitted that he was "extremely disappointed" by the decision, he respects it. He now looks to rest and recuperate, while he wishes luck to the organisers, participants, and fans ahead of the year's opening Grand Slam.
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"I would like to make a brief statement to address the outcomes of today's Court hearing. I will now be taking some time to rest and to recuperate before making any further comments beyond this. I am extremely disappointed with the Court ruling to dismiss my application for judicial review of the Minister's decision to cancel my visa, which means I cannot stay in Australia and participate in the Australian Open," Djokovic's statement read, reports CNN.
"I respect the Court's ruling, and I will cooperate with the relevant authorities in relation to my departure from the country. I am uncomfortable that the focus of the past weeks has been on me, and I hope that we can all now focus on the game and tournament I love. I would like to wish the players, tournament officials, staff, volunteers and fans all the best for the tournament," concluded Djokovic.
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In the meantime, Alex Hawke (Australia's Immigration Minister) welcomed the ruling by the court and the judge. "I welcome today's unanimous decision by the Full Federal Court of Australia, upholding my decision to exercise my power under the Migration Act to cancel Mr Novak Djokovic's visa in the public interest," he stated.
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