[imagesource: Getty Images]

Earlier this morning, Novak Djokovic won his appeal against deportation from Australia.

The judge reinstated his visa and ordered that he be released from hotel quarantine within 30 minutes, although it wasn’t all smiles for the Serb.

A lawyer acting on behalf of the Australian government said the immigration minister will consider using a separate power to cancel his visa, which could result in yet more courtroom drama.

Following the court ruling Srdan Djokovic, the tennis star’s father, told Serbian journalists that Australian police have rearrested his son in what looks like efforts to push ahead with deporting him under special powers wielded by the Immigration Minister.

That appears to be untrue, according to these live updates.

It’s also been reported that police and pro-Djokovic protesters clashed in the Melbourne CBD:

Police eventually surrounded the car and sprayed a substance at the crowd. A lot of coughing and people rinsing eyes. After about 5 mins of the car coasting and surrounded, the car left. Back window tinted.

— Tumaini Carayol (@tumcarayol) January 10, 2022

What a total farce.

You’ll likely find limited sympathy from the FT’s Henry Mance, who was in a very unforgiving mood this past weekend.

His article, titled ‘Novak Djokovic shows we can’t eliminate anti-vaxxers — but we can judge them’, doesn’t hold back:

Novak Djokovic is a fool. He was a fool in 2020 when he circumvented the pandemic shutdown and organised a tournament in Serbia and Croatia, at which he and other players caught Covid.

He was a fool when he hosted an Instagram discussion with a wellness quack, and claimed he knew people who could, through prayer and gratitude, “turn the most toxic food or the most polluted water into the most healing water”

Yes, he did say that.

Back to the brutal takedown:

Djokovic remains a fool, now that he has tried to travel to the Australian Open while unvaccinated, despite strict federal and tournament requirements. Last year he was claiming to stand up for lower-ranked players in quarantine in Australia. Now he demands special treatment on asserted medical grounds, so far rejected…

Image: Mark Baker / AP

Australia’s entry rules are strict and perhaps arbitrary, but strict, arbitrary rules should not surprise anybody who hits balls into a 98-metre-squared box for a living…

Djokovic was a man who wanted to epitomise limitless human resilience. He should instead come to epitomise limitless human stupidity.

Perhaps a tad harsh.

Djokovic thought he was arriving in Australia having been granted a medical exemption. However, whether or not he deserves special treatment when Australians have endured some of the toughest lockdown restrictions is well worth debating.

What we have now is a major international incident, with claims and counterclaims, and battle lines drawn along familiar lines.

Go on Rafa Nadal, win your 21st Grand Slam singles title, and really rub salt in the wounds.

[source:ft]