As it happened: Novak Djokovic wins court case to play in 2022 Australian Open after visa cancellation overturned

If you’re just tuning in to our live blog, welcome.

The big news of the day was the federal government conceding - in court - that the decision to cancel the visa of reigning Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic’s was unreasonable.

Victorian police officers guarding the entrance to the law firm’s carpark this evening.Credit: Simon Schluter

Federal Circuit Court judge Anthony Kelly then ordered that the minister for home affairs’ decision to cancel the visa be reversed and that Djokovic should be released from immigration detention.

The main reason for the concession was that Djokovic was not given enough time to seek advice and respond to the intention to cancel the visa when he was detained at Melbourne airport.

But what we’re waiting on now is whether another federal government minister - the minister for immigration - will use a separate set of powers to cancel the visa again. We don’t expect a decision either way will be made tonight, and could be as early as tomorrow morning.

Taking it to the streets: fans of Djokovic outside his lawyers’ offices.Credit: Simon Schluter

Djokovic’s family in Serbia gave a press conference around midnight AEST.

The player posted a tweet of him with his racquet inside Rod Laver Arena.

His fervent fans gathered outside the precinct in support, which resulted in a car being mobbed and an ugly confrontation with police.

And that’s it from us.

We’ll be back in the morning with all the latest live updates on the Novak Djokovic saga with all eyes on Immigration Minister Alex Hawke who is mulling over whether or not to deport the Serbian world No. 1.

The backdrop to the Djokovic family press conference in Belgrade earlier tonight.Credit: AP

Recapping events:

• The Djokovics in Serbia are celebrating their son’s court victory, as Novak swapped the Federal Circuit Court for the tennis sort at Rod Laver Arena for a late-night training session.
• Djokovic’s release from immigration detention following his court win led to rowdy scenes in the streets of Melbourne.
• And don’t miss Chip Le Grand’s analysis of where it all went wrong for Border Force: The Djoke is on Fortress Australia

The question of whether Novak Djokovic would be welcome to compete in Grand Slams has also been raised in France, where Djokovic prevailed at last year’s tournament.

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic 2021 French Open victory kiss.Credit: AP

French Sports Minister, Roxana Maracineanu, said the situation in Australia would be avoided ahead of the French Open in May.

“We don’t have the same regulations as in Australia for entering the country,” she told France Info.

“He may not have to deal with the same regulations as players who have been vaccinated, but he will still be able to take part in the competition because the protocols and the health bubble will allow it.”

She later told RMC that if the current rules were still in place in May, Djokovic could compete in the French Open as the vaccination pass is not compulsory to enter the country.

She said the protocols of the competition – such as a bubble – would “take precedence over the constraint of the vaccination pass”.

The Djokovic saga is dominating the news here in the UK.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been asked if he would welcome the world number one to Wimbledon to compete, given Djokovic’s refusal to be vaccinated for COVID-19.

Johnson recently introduced vaccine passports for large indoor and outdoor events.

He dodged the question, but praised Djokovic’s tennis prowess as well as the benefits of getting vaccinated.

“It’s important for the Australian authorities to make their own dispositions,” he said.

“All I would say about Novak Djokovic – against whom I’ve played tennis by the way, he’s pretty good – [is that] I believe in vaccination and I think it’s a wonderful thing to do.”

We are now not expecting Novak Djokovic to speak after all.

His family said suggestions that their son would speak via video link were incorrect, despite Serbian media earlier reporting that Srdjan Djokovic had confirmed the arrangement to BBC Serbia.

Novak earlier released his first comment in a tweet saying he was focused on competing in the Australian Open.

Novak Djokovic at Rod Laver Arena on Monday night with his team, including coach Goran Ivanisevic to Djokovic’s right.Credit: Twitter

The Djokovics ended the news conference in Belgrade a short time ago when asked by a reporter about the player’s movements in Serbia the day after he tested positive for COVID-19.

Djokovic’s mother Dijana Djokovic, his father Srdjan Djokovic and brother Djordje Djokovic at the press conference in Belgrade.Credit: Getty

The family did not answer the question and adjourned the news conference immediately.

The exchange went like this:

REPORTER: “Is it true he was positive on December 16?“

DJORDJE DJOKOVIC: “Yes, that’s all in the documents.”

REPORTER: “Was he out in public on December 17 while infected?“

DJORDJE DJOKOVIC: “The press conference is adjourned.”

The family then burst into a Serbian folk song named that translates as “One song, one team.”

His parents sang the same song from their box at the French Open last year when Djokovic won the grand slam.

The singer Tijana Rajkovic has previously told Serbian media that she was inspired to write the lyrics after meeting Novak’s father Srdjan Djokovic, who said Serbs had to unite as a people so that the would not disappear.

Srdjan heard the lyrics and said it had to be composed to music and a composer soon did so.

The song was first performed at Serbia Open tennis tournament in front of the Djokovic family, Serbian newspaper Vecernje novosti reported in June 2021.

The Djokovic family stressed that they “love Australia” and that Novak also loves Australia.

“We have just pure love for all of the world. We love Australia. Novak loves Australia. We’ve been there so many times, we’ll keep coming back,” said Novak’s brother Djordje.

“We just have to thank all the people who gathered in front of the hotel every day … for all of the support, for the love and peace they’ve been sending to him.

“That’s one of the main reasons we’re sitting here today and why he won the case.

“We don’t know the Australian law, but Novak is the cleanest person in the world – he went there to play in the Australian Open and win another title.”

Asked by a reporter what would happen if Minister Alex Hawke cancelled his visa again, Dijana, Novak’s mother, said: “I am very worried, but don’t want to think about it. I just hope that it will stay like this, that he will be free and free to play.”

Novak Djokovic has just issued his first comments since the saga began.

He wrote on Twitter that he wants to stay in Australia and compete in the Open. The message was accompanied by a photograph of Djokovic, his coach Goran Ivanisevic and two others from his team in Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park.

Earlier his family, speaking in Belgrade, said he had just been to the courts to train.

Srdjan Djokovic, Novak’s father, is now speaking at the news conference in Belgrade.

“He wouldn’t allow anyone to bring him to his knees… He is a mental giant, a fantastic young man who has never hurt anyone, he has always been in good relations with all and always tried to help.

“But obviously the fact he was from a small, poor country was not liked by some powerful people ... they didn’t like that someone from a small country could be the best in their bourgeois sport.”

He hit out at the Australian authorities.

“They tried to make him sign that he was renouncing the visa so he could be deported,” he said.

“They wouldn’t let him talk to his lawyers and his team… Thankfully they returned his phone after a few hours and he was in contact with his legal team, who prepared a fantastic legal defence.

“This is a massive win for him and the entire freedom-loving world.”

Speaking at the media conference under way in Belgrade, Dijana Djokovic, Novak’s mother, says the result in the Federal Circuit Court on Monday was the biggest victory of her son’s career.

“Novak stood up against the system and the government … he had arrived to win that tournament,” she said.

“Never so far had we faced a situation like this. This situation is very difficult for us and for five to six days we tried to fight for him.”

She said the family faced many difficult moments when they did not know how Novak felt after his phone was taken away.

“I would like to thank all the people of the world who lent him support. That gave him energy to fight to the end. Our people lent him support through dance and song in front of the hotel which he heard but he could not see,” she said.

“Thank God that God exists. This is the biggest victory in his career, bigger than all of his grand slams.”

Djordje Djokovic, Novak’s brother, and his mother Diana are speaking to the media in Belgrade.

Novak’s youngest brother told the media: “Truth and justice have been served.”

“We would like to thank the justice system of Australia and Judge Kelly who led the case very neutrally, and considered every fact from Novak’s visa application, mistreatment and the court process,” he said.

“We would like to thank them for the fair and correct hearing as they were under immense pressure as the entire world was watching.

“Novak is free. He was at tennis courts a minute ago. He trained. He went to Australia to play tennis … to try to win one more Australian Open and break the record.”