By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday January 13, 2022
Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke exercised his personal power, cancelling Djokovic's visa for a second time.
Photo Source: Camerasport
Novak Djokovic’s bid to play the 2022 Australian Open on a controversial vaccination exemption has taken a major hit. The Serb learned on Friday evening that his visa has been cancelled once again.
Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke released a statement at 6:03 PM Friday, Melbourne time, notifying Djokovic and his team of the news.
“Today I exercised my power under section 133C(3) of the Migration Act to cancel the visa held by Mr. Novak Djokovic on health and good order grounds, on the basis that it was in the public interest to do so,” the statement by Australian immigration minister Alex Hawke read. “In making this decision I carefully considered information provided to me by the Department of Home Affairs, the Australian Border Force and Mr. Djokovic.”
See Hawke’s full statement here:
Djokovic and his legal team are now considering their options, but rumor has it that an appeal will be a lot more difficult to win than Monday’s appeal, in which Judge A. Kelly overturned the original visa revocation.
If Djokovic is eventually deported, it is possible that he will lose the right to enter Australia for three years, meaning that he may never play Australia again.
It would be a hard pill to swallow for the World No.1, whose Grand Slam quest remains stuck at 20 major singles titles, alongside Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, and his fans, particularly his Serbian following in Australia who have provided him with tremendous support over the years as he has amassed nine titles in Melbourne.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison briefly weighed in on the decision, showing support for Minister Hawke’s decision.
“Australians have made many sacrifices during this pandemic, and they rightly expect the result of those sacrifices to be protected,” Morrison said in a statement. “This is what the Minister is doing in taking this action today.”
If you want to know more about this extremely complex case, we suggest you read the following thread to better understand what Djokovic's options are, and why they are significantly reduced compared to his first appeal.