Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic said Sunday that he was "disappointed" over the Australian Federal Court's rejection of his deportation appeal, but added he would respect the court's ruling and "cooperate with the relevant authorities in relation to my departure from the country."
His statement was made after the court ruled Sunday against the tennis star's last ditch appeal against a deportation order on the eve of the Australian Open.
Djokovic has won the Australian Open 9 times and was hoping to achieve a record 21st major title. However, his visa was canceled after arriving in the Australia, as he has not been vaccinated against coronavirus.
Djokovic did not specify in the statement when he will leave Australia.
"I am extremely disappointed with the ... 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," Djokovic's statement said.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison welcomed Sunday's ruling, saying in a statement the decision will help "keep our borders strong and keep Australians safe."
"It's now time to get on with the Australian Open and get back to enjoying tennis over the summer," Morrison said.
Djokovic visa saga
Djokovic had been seeking to overturn Immigration Minister Alex Hawke's decision to cancel his visa for a second time.
His visa was initially canceled on January 6 at Melbourne airport hours after he arrived, when authorities decided that Djokovic didn't qualify for a medical exemption from Australia's rules for unvaccinated visitors.
However, a circuit court overruled the decision.
Immigration Minister Hawke then canceled the visa again on the grounds that Djokovic's presence in Australia could pose a risk to public health and "good order," while being "counterproductive to efforts at vaccination by others in Australia.''
What did the court say Sunday?
Chief Justice Allsop said Sunday that the court had reviewed the lawfulness of Hawke's decision and ruled that Djokovic's "amended application be dismissed with costs."
Djokovic spent Saturday night in an immigration detention hotel in Melbourne, but was allowed to leave on Sunday to meet with his legal team, under the watch of immigration officials.
Hawke's lawyers had earlier argued that Djokovic is a "talisman of a community of anti-vaccine sentiment."
"The minister took the view that his presence in Australia would encourage people to emulate his apparent disregard for ... safety measures,'' lawyer Stephen Lloyd said.
The tennis star's lawyer's argued that there was no evidence to suggest Djokovic would "foster anti-vaccination sentiment."
Lawyer Nick Wood said that deporting the star could stir up anti-vaccine sentiment.
Djokovic has not been vaccinated against COVID-19 and said his medical exemption was based on testing positive for the virus in December.
The move caused outrage among many Australians, who have endured some of the world's most stringent anti-COVID measures.
