Will he stay or will he go? Djokovic's hearing looms large

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After 4 nights successful an Australian migration detention hotel, Novak Djokovic volition get his time successful tribunal Monday successful a deportation lawsuit that has polarized opinions and elicited heartfelt enactment for the top-ranked tennis prima successful his autochthonal Serbia.

Djokovic had his visa canceled aft arriving astatine Melbourne airdrome past week erstwhile Australian borderline officials ruled that helium didn’t conscionable the criteria for an exemption to an introduction request that each non-citizens beryllium afloat vaccinated for COVID-19.

His lawyers person since filed tribunal papers successful his situation against deportation from Australia that amusement Djokovic tested affirmative for COVID-19 past period and recovered. He utilized that arsenic grounds successful applying for a aesculapian exemption to Australia's strict vaccination rules.

The lawsuit is scheduled for a virtual proceeding to entreaty the visa cancellation. It volition instrumentality spot astatine 10 a.m. section clip successful Melbourne (2300 GMT Sunday) successful the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.

In Serbia connected Saturday, Djokovic’s household held a rally successful enactment of him successful Belgrade for the 3rd successive day, and Prime Minister Ana Brnabic assured him of her government's enactment implicit his visa conflict to guarantee helium tin participate Australia and support his Australian Open title. The tourney begins Jan. 17 — conscionable a week from his tribunal date.

“We’ve managed to marque definite gluten-free nutrient is delivered to him, arsenic good arsenic exercising tools, a laptop and a SIM paper truthful that helium is capable to beryllium successful interaction with his family,” Brnabic said. It comes arsenic Australian media reported that migration officials denied a petition to person Djokovic's idiosyncratic cook navigator meals for him successful the migration hotel.

Djokovic is nine-time Australian Open champion. He has 20 Grand Slam singles title, a men’s grounds helium shares with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

In Djokovic's cleanable world, helium would person been eating nutrient cooked by that idiosyncratic chef, worked retired astatine a gym and trained each time on-court since his arrival, mingling with his enactment radical and friends on the way.

Instead, he's been confined to his country successful a humble migration edifice successful downtown Melbourne, with guards successful the corridor.

The lawsuit has go a analyzable one.

Djokovic was fixed a aesculapian exemption backed by the Victoria authorities authorities and Australian Open organizers connected Jan. 1, based connected accusation helium supplied to 2 autarkic aesculapian panels. He was approved for a visa electronically.

But it has since emerged that the Victoria authorities aesculapian exemption, allowed for radical who tested affirmative for the coronavirus wrong the past six months, was deemed invalid by the national borderline authorities.

It would person been valid to participate the tournament, but it wasn't capable to fulfill the Australian Border Force.

Australian media person reported details of the tribunal documents expected to entered into grounds connected Monday. It showed Djokovic received a missive from Tennis Australia's main aesculapian serviceman connected Dec. 30 “recording that helium had been provided with a ‘medical exemption from COVID vaccination’ connected the grounds that helium had precocious recovered from COVID.”

It said Djokovic's archetypal affirmative trial was Dec. 16 and, connected the day of issue, the exemption said the 34-year-old subordinate "had not had a fever oregon respiratory symptoms successful the past 72 hours.”

Djokovic attended a Dec. 17 lawsuit successful Belgrade honoring young tennis players. The lawsuit was covered by section media, and parents posted photos connected societal media showing Djokovic and the children not wearing masks. It's not wide if Djokovic knew the results of his trial astatine the time.

On Dec. 14, Djokovic had attended a Euroleague hoops crippled betwixt Red Star and Barcelona successful a packed sports hallway successful Belgrade. He was photographed hugging respective players of some teams, including immoderate who soon aboriginal tested positive.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who said “rules are rules” and that incoming passengers were liable for gathering borderline regulations, has been accused of taking vantage of Djokovic's lawsuit to amended his battered standings successful popularity polls up of a looming election.

Djokovic's plight has prompted claims from Serbia that Djokovic is being treated similar a prisoner. The subordinate himself appears to person go a standard-bearer for anti-vaccine groups, including immoderate radical who've gathered extracurricular for enactment extracurricular his migration hotel.

Australian Open organizers person been been taking immoderate vigor implicit the Djokovic situation, and with evident bully reason.

Tennis Australia, which runs the tourney and organizes the logistics for much than 2,000 incoming players, unit and officials, reportedly gave incorrect interpretations to players astir the acceptable grounds for an exemption. That included the mentation that having had a coronavirus corruption wrong the erstwhile six months would qualify. Organizers person blamed the national authorities for its mixed messages connected the policy.

Tournament manager Craig Tiley has continued moving successful the inheritance with Djokovic, oregon truthful it seems.

Tiley’s video connection to Australian Open unit astir the tournament's “difficult clip successful the nationalist arena” was published successful News Corp. newspapers Saturday.

“There’s been a condition that relates to a mates of players, Novak peculiarly . . . successful a concern that is precise difficult," Tiley said successful the video. "We’re a player-first event. We’re moving intimately with Novak and his team, and others and their team, that are successful this situation.”

Djokovic was 1 of 2 players enactment into detention successful the edifice that besides houses refugees and asylum seekers. A 3rd person, reported to beryllium an official, near the state voluntarily aft borderline unit investigations.

The different subordinate was 38-year-old doubles specializer Renata Voráčová, who had already been successful Australia for a week earlier an probe by the borderline officials. The Czech overseas ministry said Voráčová voluntarily near Australia aft deciding not to entreaty the decision.

The tribunal proceeding connected Monday volition find whether Djokovic is not acold down her.

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Associated Press Writer Dusan Stojanovic successful Belgrade, Serbia, and AP Sports Writer John Pye successful Brisbane, Australia contributed to this report.

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