Novak Djokovic speaks out after losing visa battle in Australia

'I hope that we can all now focus on the game and tournament I love'

Novak Djokovic has spoken out following the decision to revoke his visa upheld and waits to be deported from Australia. The Serbian tennis star has been at the centre of a vaccine exemption saga of his own making, as beyond remaining unvaccinated, he also failed to provide the proper paperwork, is thought to have lied about his vaccine status and broke Covid isolation rules while in the country. Now though, the 34-year-old has issued a statement following the court's decision to deport him, starting by that he "will now be taking some time to rest and to recuperate, before making any further comments beyond this. "I am extremely disappointed with the Court ruling to dismiss my application for judicial review of the Minister’s decision to cancel my visa, which means I cannot stay in Australia and participate in the Australian Open. [caption id="attachment_311634" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Credit: Getty - Novak Djokovic the Park hotel in Melbourne, Australia, after his visa is cancelled for a second time[/caption] “I respect the Court’s ruling and I will cooperate with the relevant authorities in relation to my departure from the country. I am uncomfortable that the focus of the past weeks has been on me and I hope that we can all now focus on the game and tournament I love. I would like to wish the players, tournament officials, staff, volunteers and fans all the best for the tournament. "I am uncomfortable that the focus of the past weeks has been on me and I hope that we can all now focus on the game and tournament I love. I would like to wish the players, tournament officials, staff, volunteers and fans all the best for the tournament". He went on to add: “Finally, I would like to thank my family, friends, team, supporters, fans and my fellow Serbians for your continued support. You have all been a great source of strength to me.” Many in the world of tennis came out to share their opinion on Djokovic, including Grand Slam rival Rafael Nadal, women's singles legend Martina Navratilova and even huge former player turned commentator and huge fan, Boris Becker. While their sentiments were all pretty much the same - get the vaccine and you can play - other sections of the public believe the Djokovic saga has raised important questions surrounding whether the Covid-19 vaccine should be compulsory.

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