Novak Djokovic´s hopes of playing at the Australian Open were dashed Sunday after a court dismissed the top-ranked tennis star´s appeal against a deportation order.
Three Federal Court judges upheld a decision made on Friday by the immigration minister to cancel the 34-year-old Serb´s visa on public interest grounds.
The decision likely means that Djokovic, who is not vaccinated against COVID-19, will remain in detention in Melbourne until he is deported, The Associated Press reported.
A deportation order usually also includes a three-year ban on returning to Australia.
The minister cancelled the visa on the grounds that Djokovic´s presence in Australia may be a risk to the health and "good order" of the Australian public and "may be counterproductive to efforts at vaccination by others in Australia."
Djokovic´s visa was initially cancelled on Jan. 6 at Melbourne´s airport hours after he arrived to compete in the first Grand Slam of 2022.
A border official cancelled his visa after deciding Djokovic didn´t qualify for a medical exemption from Australia´s rules for unvaccinated visitors.
