Deported from Australia with Novak Djokovic, unvaccinated Czech player Renata Voracova has her visa reinstated
Novak Djokovic’s 2022 season had a rocky start after his visa was cancelled and deported from Australia ahead of the season's first Grand Slam.
The Serbian is back in the news after Czech tennis player Renata Voracova, who was also deported from Australia on grounds similar to Djokovic's, had her visa cancellation overturned on Thursday.
A tribunal has found there was no evidence that she failed to comply with the conditions of her visa, according to a report in The Age.
“Ms. Voracova did not need to rely on the fact that she had previously contracted COVID-19 as a medical contraindication to vaccination because she had a medical basis to delay vaccination,” Jan Redfern, vice president of the tribunal.
Back then, Voracova told BBC News Russia that she felt "like a criminal" following the ordeal.
“I felt a little bit like a criminal, but there was no reason why I should feel like that. I sent all the documents. They were approved. If I knew there would be even a 1% chance of something not being right, I wouldn’t go.”, Voracova said about her deportation.
The tribunal also concluded that the circumstances of her case are nothing like that of Novak Djokovic.
Voracova, who was not opposed to the COVID-19 vaccination, had provided evidence that she is vulnerable to thrombosis. Djokovic, on the other hand, entered the country on the claim that he had contracted COVID-19 just three weeks prior to the start of the Major.
The Australian government recently declared that people arriving in the country will no longer have to declare their COVID-19 vaccination status or obtain travel exemptions, which would normally allow Djokovic to compete at the Australian Open next year.
However, under Australian immigration laws, he cannot be granted a visa for three years following his deportation unless the country's Immigration Minister agrees to an exemption on compelling or compassionate grounds.
Novak Djokovic risks further dip in world rankings
Despite defending his Wimbledon title this year, Novak Djokovic lost the 2000 points he had earned as the previous year’s winner due to the ATP stripping Wimbledon of its ranking points.
Ranked No. 3 at the start of the grass Slam, he is currently dropped to No. 7 in the ATP rankings. The Serb is at risk of falling further down the rankings as his chances of participating in the US Open swing remain very slim, owing to the American government's rule requiring foreign travelers to be double vaccinated against COVID-19.
While the US Open does not have any mandates on vaccinations, the tournament organizers have said in a statement that they will comply with the government's rules and not seek any exemptions.
“The US Open does not have a vaccination mandate in place for players, but it will respect the US government’s position regarding travel into the country for unvaccinated non-US citizens,” the statement read.