The Serbian tennis player took to the courts to try to prevent his deportation from Australia after he failed to provide enough evidence to justify an exemption from the country's Covid-19 vaccine rules.
A vaccine exemption allowed him to play in the Australian Open tournament this week, despite his public opposition to mandatory jabs.
He was held at the Tullamarine Airport overnight after he failed to provide enough proof that he had a valid medical reason not to be in the country.
The Australian Border Force revoked his visa and ordered him to leave the country.
Lawyers for the tennis player took him to a hotel in the middle of the city as they tried to get an injunction against the visa cancellation. He will have to stay in isolation until Monday after the case was adjourned.
The decision to give an exemption to the nine-time Australian Open winner, who has never been disqualified, provoked a backlash in Australia, which has strict restrictions on movement and vaccinations.
Tennis Australia has argued that the exemption was approved by two committees of medical professionals, one appointed by the tennis body and the other by the Victoria's department of health.
The exemption application was not detailed. He posted a photo of himself on his social media accounts on Wednesday, saying that he had been granted an exemption to travel to Melbourne to defend his title.
There are reasons for an exemption that could include an adverse reaction to Covid vaccines. The Australian government does not think that a test for an infectious disease within the past six months is enough to get an exemption.
In December, Australia opened its borders to all non-citizens. He would have had to comply with strict vaccination rules if he had qualified for a visa used for sports professionals.
The ABF's decision to cancel his visa during a late night stand-off with the tennis player and his entourage, including his father, provoked a bitter debate over the damage to the reputation of Australian tourism and the Australian Open.
The world number one was made a victim of a political dispute between the national and Victorian state governments and the effort to deport him could undermine confidence in the Australian Open.
This is the first time that this has happened, according to ABC News. He should be on court, not in court.
The vaccine push was supported by the Spanish tennis player, who is tied with Serbia's Novak Djokovic for the most Grand Slam wins. He said that the world has suffered enough to not follow the rules.
Scott Morrison, Australia's prime minister, said visitors were welcome but they needed to comply with the country's Covid policies. He denied that the man had been dumped.
Tennis Australia has said that a few players were given exemptions to play, raising accusations that Novak was being used as a political scapegoat. Morrison argued that the people who posted on social media about their travel status draw attention to themselves.
Anyone who does that can expect to be asked more questions than others. He said that the Border Force works that way.
Serbians in Melbourne and Serbia's president accused the Australian government of harassment after he was threatened with deportation.
The players are struggling to break even.
