Novak Djokovic is used to taking on the world's best on the courts...
COMMENTATOR: Make it nine for Novak!
..and usually winning.
But what happens when this superstar player
comes up against a powerful new rival?
Novak Djokovic versus the Australian government?
Wait, is that right? It is?
Yes, the Aussie government.
You see, when the world number one landed in Melbourne
to play in the 2022 Australian Open, there was a problem.
He was stopped on arrival by border officials
and detained because the government cancelled his visa.
(TENNIS BALL BOUNCES)
Advantage - government.
Wait, what's a visa?
Well, it's an official document
that gives someone legal permission to enter a different country.
There are lots of different kinds, like for holidays, work, study,
and even for refugees.
Each one of them comes with different rules,
and the government has the power to take away a visa
and make someone leave the country.
In Djokovic's case,
it all came down to him not being vaccinated against COVID.
Tennis Australia and the Victorian government
gave him permission to play in the Open anyway
because he said he'd recovered from COVID recently
and therefore didn't need to be vaccinated.
(TENNIS BALL BOUNCES)
Advantage - Djokovic.
But the federal government gets the final serve,
um, say about who's allowed in,
and it says Djokovic didn't show enough evidence
about not needing the jab.
It also says his reluctance to get the vaccine
could have a bad influence on the Australian public,
so it knocked his visa back.
We've got to be very clear
about what the role of the federal government is,
and that is to make sure that our borders are protected.
Djokovic obviously wasn't happy, and he hit back through his lawyers,
which put the ball in the other court.
Wait, where did the ball go?
Oh, an actual court, I mean.
Oh!
Short break time.
But after a bit of back and forth and a couple of court cases,
the government's decision was backed up
and Djokovic was sent home to Serbia
and may not be allowed back for three years.
I'm sorry for him.
MAN: It's really bad, you know?
I'm really, like, angry because of it,
and I'm sad because of it and angry.
While some people reckon sending the tennis star home
was the right move...
If he's not going to get vaccinated,
he needs to do what everyone else is doing and stay home.
..others say they're confused or annoyed
about the way it was all handled on the world stage...
He had a visa, right?
So, I don't think he would have travelled here
just by luck without him thinking that he would be able to play.
As an Australian athlete that's seen what this guy has done,
um, you know, for us and, you know, for the sport,
I just don't think it's right how we're handling it.
..and others, well, they're just happy to play on.
Tennis keeps going and, um,
the Australian Open is much more important
than...than any player.
But Djokovic isn't the only athlete this happened to,
and he might not be the last.
Czech tennis player Renata Voracova also had her visa cancelled
just before the Open because of her COVID vax status,
and the government says the same thing could happen
to other reportedly unvaccinated sports stars,
like American surfer Kelly Slater,
who's expected to compete here in a few months.
Either way, it looks like it's game, set, match
for Australia's government
when it comes to this world number one.
Now, how do I get off this chair?
Anyone? Hmm?
It's quite high.