Australia has revoked Novak Djokovic's World Tennis visa for the second time, the BBC reported.

Immigration Minister Alex Hawke's decision means Djokovic must be deported.

The tennis player is in Australia to participate in the Australian Open, but entered the country on January 6 without being vaccinated, citing a permit granted on the basis of a medical exception. His visa was revoked at the border on the grounds that he had not provided enough convincing evidence to obtain a medical exemption, and the tennis player was locked up in a migrant center while awaiting a decision on the appeal. The court ruled in his favor, but Australian law allows the Minister for Migration to make an individual decision regardless of the court's ruling.

Djokovic Apologized for his Media Appearance while being Positive for COVID-19

"Today I exercised my powers under section 133C (3) of the Migration Act to revoke the visa held by Mr. Novak Djokovic for reasons of health and good order, based on the fact that it was in the public interest," Hawke was quoted as saying by TheAge. "In making that decision, I have carefully considered the information provided to me by the Home Office, the Australian Border Force and Mr. Djokovic."

Djokovic claimed to have received a medical exemption and had not been vaccinated because he had COVID-19 in December. However, the documentation on the case raised doubts about the veracity of the allegation. He was also puzzled by the fact that at the time Djokovic claimed to be ill, he was involved in public events.

The law entitles the Minister to deport anyone he deems to pose a potential risk to the health, safety, or well-being of Australian society.

The 34-year-old Serbian and nine-time Australian Open champion can now appeal again to stay in the country. He is in the main draw for the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, which starts on Monday. The athlete's lawyers said they would appeal the decision, which could lead to Djokovic's ban on traveling to Australia for three years, BNR added.

Hawke also made the decision amid allegations against Djokovic that he had filled out a false declaration that he had not traveled 14 days before arriving in Australia. His photos from his training in Spain, as well as from the celebration of Christmas in his native Serbia, were published during this period.

Djokovic later admitted that his agent had mistakenly ticked the NO box to the question about the trip, copying the answer from a previous statement from the tennis player.

/OFFNews

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