File Picture
Tennis world number one Novak Djokovic landed in Dubai after his sensational deportation from Australia over his coronavirus vaccination status put his bid for a record 21st Grand Slam title on hold.
According to AFP, As the Australian Open got under way in Melbourne, the men’s defending champion stepped off an Emirates plane carrying two bags and wearing a mask, his final destination unknown.
It follows a protracted and high-stakes legal battle between the unvaccinated Djokovic and the Australian authorities that polarised opinion and damaged reputations on both sides.
Djokovic said he was “extremely disappointed” after a Federal Court unanimously upheld the cancellation of his visa on public order grounds.
The humbled star boarded a flight from Melbourne’s Tullamarine airport for Dubai late Sunday, accompanied by a retinue of aides and officials.
Emirates flight EK409 took off at 10:51 pm local time (1151 GMT), according to an AFP reporter on board, and landed before dawn in Dubai.
Twice in the last 11 days Australia’s government had ripped up Djokovic’s visa and placed him in immigration detention — saying the unvaccinated star’s presence could fuel anti-vaccine sentiment amid a tidal wave of Omicron cases.
Twice the Serbian star fought the decision in court, winning one round but losing Sunday’s decider.
