Tennis star Novak Djokovic left Australia on Sunday evening, facing a three-year visa ban after an appeals court in the country revoked his visa.
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Djokovic will not be able to defend his Australian Open title when the tournament starts in Melbourne. The World No. 1 is looking to break a three-way tie with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for most Grand Slam men's singles titles.Djokovic's visa was revoked twice by Australian officials, who labeled the 34-year-old a public health threat.
"I am uncomfortable that the focus of the past weeks has been on me and I hope that we can all now focus on the game and tournament I love. I would like to wish the players, tournament officials, staff, volunteers and fans all the best for the tournament."Djokovic earlier this month announced that he was traveling to Australia with a medical exemption because he tested positive for COVID in December.
Upon arriving in Melbourne for the tournament, and after eight hours of airport detention, Djokovic'sDays later, Djokovic's visa was on appeal after arguing that his positive test in December superseded the country's vaccination requirement.Go deeper: