Andy Murray has welcomed Novak Djokovic’s release from immigration detention But he anticipates that the men’s world No. 1 will have a number of questions to answer in the coming days if he stays in Australia.
Djokovic spent his first full day of freedom focusing on tennis matters as he headed to Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena behind closed doors for much-needed practice after spending most of the five days in a hotel room fighting the cancellation of your visa.
Off the pitch, however, his status remained in limbo as Australia’s immigration minister Alex Hawke continued to deliberate on whether to exercise his reserved powers and attempt, a second time, to deport the Serb, as new questions arose about the precision of Djokovic’s trip. documents.
There was also no response from Djokovic’s camp, following the growing attention about the December 16 positive PCR test that he relied on to obtain a medical exemption for travel and his apparent public appearances without a mask on social media posts shortly thereafter. of that date.
When the players started talking about Djokovic’s arrest, Murray said it was positive to see Djokovic win his hearing, but he believes there are still problems to be solved.
“It is positive that he is no longer in custody,” Murray said. “Obviously he won in court, so that’s a good thing for him. with a little luck [he] you can focus on tennis now. You know, I think there are still some questions that need to be answered, you know, isolation and stuff, that I’m sure we’ll hear from him in the next few days. “
Meanwhile, Marton Fucsovics of Hungary became one of the first players to publicly disagree with Djokovic’s presence in Australia. The 29-year-old Hungarian described Djokovic as the best player in the sport and underscored the respect he has for the No. 1.
“However, we must not go beyond what is happening in the world now,” he said, speaking to M1, a Hungarian television channel. “People’s health is paramount, and there are rules that were outlined months ago, namely that everyone should be vaccinated, and Djokovic did not. From this point of view, I don’t think I have the right to be here. “
On Monday, Djokovic and his team of lawyers won their court hearing and successfully restored the 34-year-old’s visa when Judge Anthony Kelly discovered that the Australian Border Force had not given Djokovic enough time to speak with his Lawyers and Tennis Australia before canceling your visa.
Djokovic, who was able to get out of detention and move freely, left directly from his lawyers’ offices to train in Melbourne Park and returned for a second session mid-afternoon Tuesday, where he practiced with young Australian James McCabe at Rod Laver Arena. . . Amid great curiosity about his physical condition after spending several days confined in a hotel room, Djokovic opted for his session to be held behind closed doors and the live broadcast of Rod Laver Arena in the press rooms was temporarily removed.
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The best players sometimes choose to compete without an audience when they prefer not to be seen by the public or their rivals. However, the tournament went to extraordinary lengths to keep all eyes open with almost all arena doors closed. In addition to Tennis Australia’s in-house videographers, the only images of Djokovic were obtained via a drone run by 9News, although Tennis Australia photographers were allowed to group images.
As Djokovic continues his preparation, he does so with clouds that seem to multiply overhead. The Australian Border Force is investigating suggestions that Djokovic disclosed incorrect information in his Australian Travel Statement.
In the form, released after his court hearing on Monday, Djokovic, who indicated between different court documents that his agent and Tennis Australia had completed the form at different times, stated that he had not traveled to any other country in the previous 14 days. began his journey to Australia from Spain on January 4.
However, on Tuesday, photos on social media seemed to indicate that he had recently traveled from Serbia as he posed with Serbian handball player Petar Djordjic in Belgrade on Christmas Day. Djokovic has not commented and it is unclear when the image was taken.
If Djokovic remains in Australia and competes in the tournament, Tennis Australia, which on Tuesday formally confirmed that it would be the No. 1 male seed, will likely move to increase security after Monday’s noisy scenes when police used pepper spray on members. of the team. public when they broke into a car they thought would take Djokovic away from his lawyers’ offices.
Following Djokovic’s successful hearing, the ATP addressed his arrest for the first time in a lengthy statement, acknowledging that the saga has been detrimental to everyone involved. The men’s tennis governing body noted its respect for the sentiments of the Australian public and strict border laws while expressing its support for Djokovic.
“It is clear that Novak Djokovic believed that he had been granted a medical exemption necessary to comply with the entry rules,” said the ATP. “The series of events leading up to Monday’s court hearing have been detrimental on all fronts, including Novak’s well-being and preparation for the Australian Open.”
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George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism