Novak Djokovic says he is still in “shock” when he visits Melbourne, three years after he was deported due to Australia's coronavirus regulations.
Djokovic, who has not been vaccinated against the virus, had it The visa has been canceled by the Australian government For reasons of “good health and order”.
He was forced to stay in an immigration hotel for five days while he unsuccessfully appealed the decision, and was eventually forced to leave the country, meaning he missed the 2022 Australian Open.
Djokovic returned to Melbourne the following year, as Covid restrictions eased, and moved on Winning the Grand Slam for a record tenth time.
The 37-year-old Serbian returns to Australia in preparation for the 2025 tournament, which begins on Sunday.
“The last two times I landed in Australia, to go through passport control and immigration, I was in a bit of a shock from three years ago,” Djokovic told Melbourne. Herald Sun., external
“And some traces are still there when I go through passport checks, just checking if someone from the immigration area is approaching.
“The person checking my passport: Are they going to take me, detain me again, or are they going to release me? I have to admit I have this feeling.”
He added: “I don't hold a grudge. I came right away the next year and won.
“My parents and the whole team were there, and it was actually one of the most emotional victories I've ever had, considering everything I'd been through the year before.”
Victoria State Premier Jacinta Allan said she would prefer to focus on this year's tournament.
“Responsibility for granting visas is a matter for the Federal Government and those decisions were made by the Federal Government at that time,” Allan, who was a member of the government's crisis cabinet that led Australia's Covid response in 2022, said. Involved in the Djokovic case.
“COVID has been hard on all of us. It doesn't matter who you are and where you come from, COVID didn't discriminate in who it infected you with, how sick you were, and how sick others in our community were.”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese criticized the previous government's handling of the situation, in particular the decision to deny Djokovic access to an Orthodox priest in the run-up to Christmas, which most Orthodox Christians celebrate on January 7.
“I made comments at the time about this. I found it astonishing that in the run-up to Christmas, the then federal government denied Novak Djokovic the opportunity to see his Orthodox priest during that period,” Albanese said. He became Prime Minister in May 2022.
“That's something that I think was hard to justify at the time.”
Djokovic hopes to win a record 25th Grand Slam title when he competes in the Australian Open at Melbourne Park next week.
