Novak Djokovic visa: France’s Sports Minister gives Serbian star green light for French Open
Novak Djokovic’s Australian Open hopes may be hanging by a thread due to his visa problems, but France’s Sports Minister has given the Serbian the green light to play in the French Open.
Tennis
Don't miss out on the headlines from Tennis. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Serbian supertsar Novak Djokovic would be granted entry to France for the French Open even if he was unvaccinated against Covid-19, the sports minister said.
The 34-year-old is in an immigration detention hotel in Melbourne while he appeals against his visa being dramatically revoked for failing to meet the tough Covid-19 restrictions in Australia, leaving his hopes of playing in the Australian Open in the balance.
Those granted permission to enter Australia must prove they are fully vaccinated or have a doctor’s medical exemption, with authorities saying he provided evidence of neither.
French Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu told radio station France Info that Djokovic, who has openly been sceptical about the vaccine, would benefit from a special case scenario in France for major events such as the French Open.
Djokovic had travelled to Australia having been given a medical exemption by the Australian Open organisers but it fell short of the demands of the immigration authorities.
“There are health protocols imposed for major events by the relevant federations which would permit someone like Novak Djokovic to enter the country,” Maracineanu said.
“In France today we do not have the same regulations as Australia for entry to the country, either for athletes or any citizens from other countries.
“An athlete who is unvaccinated can compete in an event because the protocol, the health bubble for these major events, permits that.”
Maracineanu added that she hoped the situation would be clearer by May, when the French Open is scheduled to get underway.
“We hope there will be no need for such measures by then.”
‘LURED TO BE HUMILIATED’: STUNNING DJOKOVIC CLAIM
Serbia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has blasted Novak Djokovic’s treatment in Melbourne as “inappropriate and inhumane”.
In a statement, state secretary Nemanja Starovic revealed the ministry made a “verbal protest” to Australia’s ambassador to Serbia, Daniel Emery on Thursday.
“The Serbian public has a strong impression that Djokovic is a victim of the political game, against his will, and that he was lured to travel to Australia in order to be humiliated,” the statement says.
Mr Starovic demanded that Mr Emery make “personal efforts” to enable the world no.1 to await his court decision in accommodation that was “adequate for an athlete of his rank”.
“Novak Dokovic is not a criminal, terrorist or illegal migrant, but that he was treated that way by the Australian authorities, which causes understandable indignation of his fans and citizens of Serbia,” Mr Starovic is reported to have said.
“Serbia does not want to influence the upcoming decision of the Australian judiciary in any way.
“But expects that the executive authorities of that country, in the spirit of good bilateral relations between Australia and Serbia, and in accordance with their competencies, will allow Djokovic to spend Christmas in better accommodation.”
The ministry has also sent a protest note to Australia’s embassy in Belgrade, while the Serbian embassy in Canberra sent a note to Australia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Djokovic’s wife, Jelena, has finally broken her silence to urge people to show “respect across every single border”.
In a statement posted to her 570,000 Instagram followers, Mrs Djokovic said she wished she was with Novak on Christmas.
“It’s Christmas today for us, my wishes are for everyone to be healthy, happy, safe and together with families,” she wrote.
“We wish we are all together today, but my consolation is that at least we are healthy. And we will grow from this experience.”
Mrs Djokovic thanked people “all around the world for using your voice to send love to my husband”.
“I am taking a deep breath to calm down and find gratitude (and understanding) in this moment for all that is happening,” she added.
“The only law that we should all respect across every single border is love and respect for another human being.
“Love and forgiveness is never a mistake but a powerful force.”
DJOKOVIC ‘CRUCIFIED’
Her message of positivity and hope was in stark contrast to her father in law’s.
On Thursday night Serbian time, Srdjan Djokovic was pictured with a mega phone on the streets of Belgrade saying his son is being ‘crucified” like Jesus Christ.’.
“They’re keeping him in captivity,” he said. “They’re stomping all over Novak to stomp all over Serbia and Serbian people.
“This has nothing to do with sports, this is a political agenda. Novak is the best player and the best athlete in the world, but several hundred million people from the West can’t stomach that.”
Djokovic “met all the required conditions for the entry and participation at the tournament that he would have certainly won,” his father insisted.
“Jesus was crucified and endured many things but is still alive among us,” he said on Orthodox Christmas Eve. “Novak is also crucified... the best sportsman and man in the world. He will endure.”
Djokovic’s mother also lashed out at a family press conference held after it was confirmed her son would remain in a detention hotel until Monday when his visa hearing would be heard.
“I feel terrible since yesterday, the last 24 hours. They are keeping him like a prisoner,” Dijana said.
“It’s just not fair. It’s not human,” she said.“I just hope he will be strong as we are trying also to be very strong to give him some energy to keep on going. I hope that he will win.
“It’s just some small immigration hotel, if we can call it a hotel at all. Some bugs, it’s dirty, and the food is so terrible.”
Barrister Christopher Tran, for Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews, conceded it was “off the table” to deport Djokovic on Thursday.
He said he was advised to only allow the world No.1 to stay in Australia for as long as needed for an interlocutory application to be heard.
The court was told the earliest that application could be heard was 10am on Monday.
Court documents reveal that Djokovic must be permitted to stay in Australia until 4pm on Monday.
Djokovic's dad promised they would go to the streets and they did. pic.twitter.com/9Y3EL6nXdo
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) January 6, 2022
Meanwhile in Belgrade. pic.twitter.com/Y6BG7q8M3T
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) January 6, 2022
A GLOBAL WITCH HUNT
Novak Djokovic is a victim of a ‘political witch hunt’ claimed Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic on Thursday after Australian authorities said he failed to meet stringent pandemic entry requirements.
The 34-year-old world No.1’s lawyers are appealing the decision which if it fails would see him deported from Australia.
The vaccine-sceptic Djokovic was detained on arrival at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport having failed to “provide appropriate evidence” of double vaccination or a medical exemption.
Djokovic had jetted into Melbourne on Wednesday having been granted a medical exemption by the Australian Open organisers. He was hoping to defend his Australian Open crown and claim an unprecedented 21st Grand Slam title.
Vucic, though, claimed Djokovic was being hounded as other tennis players had been permitted to enter Australia with medical exemptions.
“What is not fair-play is the political witch hunt (being conducted against Novak), by everybody including the Australian Prime Minister pretending that the rules apply to all,” Vucic told the media.
Vucic said the Australian ambassador had been contacted twice by Serbian authorities and Serbia’s Prime Minister Ana Brnabic will be in touch with a senior member of Australia’s Home Affairs department.
The Serbians will the Australian authorities that at the very least Djokovic can stay, whilst his appeal is heard, in the house in Melbourne he had rented for the Australian Open (which runs from January 17 to January 30) and not in the hotel he has been sent to.
Vucic described Djokovic’s treatment as being “infamous in the proper sense of the term”.
“I fear that this relentless political pursuit of Novak will continue till the moment they can prove something, because when you cannot defeat somebody then you turn to these type of things,” Vucic said.
Aussie Ajla ends winning drought
There are now two Aussie women in the world’s top 100 after Ajla Tomljanovic snared a title in Hong Kong.
Tennis world floored by ‘chilling’ Dokic reveal
Australian tennis champion Jelena Dokic has a new documentary out and fans have labelled the glimpse into her career raw and chilling.