The world's top-ranked men's player has been denied a visa by the Australian government just days before the start of the Australian Open tennis tournament, which he has won nine times.
The immigration minister used his power under section 133C (3) of the Migration Act to cancel the visa held by Mr Novak Djokovic on health and good order grounds.
The man was expected to be deported because he entered the country as an unvaccinated non-resident. The player was granted a medical exemption to play in the grand slam event after contracting Covid-19. The Australian Border Force argued that he had not complied with the country's strict policies.
The Morrison government is firmly committed to protecting Australia's borders, particularly in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic, after five days of deliberations.
The unvaccinated tennis star has been deported twice by the Australian government since he arrived in the country. On Monday, the federal court ruled against the border force in their decision to cancel his visa.
The Serbian player's actions and the credibility of his vaccine exemption used to enter Australia have drawn more scrutiny.
On Wednesday, he admitted that his agent had filled out a travel declaration that was incorrect and that he had attended an interview and photo shoot despite knowing that he had tested positive for Covid.
A News Corp survey found that 84 per cent of respondents supported the tennis player's deportation.
The Australian government warned that the minister could cancel the visa again.
The defending Australian Open champion is expected to appeal against the decision.
Critics of Morrison have been stirred up by the controversy in an election year. The government is trying to contain Covid-19 cases and ease supply chain problems caused by the Pandemic.
The players are struggling to break even.
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