ATP referred to the cancellation of Djokovic’s visa and his absence at the Australian Open

Novak Djokovic’s stay in Australia has generated controversy, but last Saturday the final decision of the authorities regarding his case was confirmed: the Serbian was left without a visa, after presenting a medical exemption and not the information corresponding to his vaccination against coronavirus (COVID-19). Due to this provision, ‘Nole’ will be deported and will be left out of the first Grand Slam of 2022.

After hearing the news, the Association of Professional Tennis Players (ATP) spoke out, regretting what happened with No. 1, but highlighting the commitment that exists to respect the established health protocols:

“Today’s decision to uphold the cancellation of Novak Djokovic’s visa in Australia marks the end of a deeply sad series of events. Ultimately, the decisions of the legal authorities in matters of public health must be respected. More time is required to take stock of the facts and learn from this situation.

Regardless of how it has gotten to this point, Novak is one of our greatest champions and his absence from the Australian Open is a loss for our sport. We know how hectic the last few days have been for Novak and how badly he wanted to defend his title in Melbourne. We wish him the best and hope to see him back on track soon. The ATP continues to strongly recommend vaccination of all players”.

On the other hand, in the absence of Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open, it was confirmed Salvatore Caruso (ATP: 150) will replace him. The Italian tennis player, after losing in the last round of qualy in the contest (2-0 against the Japanese Taro Daniel), was determined as the “lucky loser” and will be able to participate in the Grand Slam.

Djokovic’s statements

After the decision of the Australian authorities, Novak Djokovic gave his first impressions to the press. “I will now take some time to rest and recover, before commenting further on this. I am extremely disappointed with the ruling”, he explained initially.

“It bothers me that the focus for the past few weeks has been on me and I hope that now we can all focus on the game and the tournament that I love. I would like to wish the players, tournament officials, staff, volunteers and fans all the best in the tournament.”, he added.

“Finally, I would like to thank my family, friends, team, supporters, fans and my fellow Serbs for their continued support. You all have been a great source of strength for me.”, sentenced ‘Nole’.