A Melbourne judge just reinstated Novak Djokovic's visa and ordered his release from detention within 30 minutes of his ruling after the tennis star submitted an appeal.
Judge Anthony Kelly confirmed that Djokovic provided officials at the Melbourne airport with his medical exemptions. So, Kelly doesn't know why the athlete was still refused entry into Australia.
Nick Wood says Novak Djokovic did everything to enter Australia
Djokovic's lawyer, Nick Wood, said that transcripts of Djokovic's interview with Border Force officials reveal his appeals with the officers by saying that he knew he did everything that was required of him before flying to the country.
However, reports revealed that the lawyers for the federal government said that the country's immigration minister wants to be able to exercise his personal power to revoke Djokovic's visa.
If this happens, the tennis star could once again face detention and miss the Australian Open that's scheduled for April 17, according to Al Jazeera.
Novak Djokovic's supporters defend him
Prior to the judge's decision, Djokovic's fans flocked to his attorneys' offices and asked for the athlete to be freed from detention. Djokovic's supporters also said that they would never stop fighting for him.
Some of them also hailed the tennis star a hero for being an anti-vaxxer and standing by what he thinks is best for his body. They also created hashtags that are gaining the attention of other individuals.
Shortly after he arrived, the Australian government decided to cancel his visa because they deemed that he didn't meet the exemption criteria for non-vaccinated athletes to enter the country.
Novak Djokovic accused of spreading COVID-19
Meanwhile, Djokovic is again receiving flak after he admitted that he knew that he was positive for COVID-19 when he attended several events.
Djokovic learned that he's positive for COVID-19 on Dec. 16 but on that exact same day, he was also photographed participating in a panel discussion in front of audiences.
A day later, the Belgrade Tennis Association's Facebook page also posted several photos of Djokovic at different events, according to CNN.
As of press writing, it's still unclear whether or not Djokovic will be able to compete at the Australian Open. A decision as to whether he will be deported back to his home country will be made this week.
Tennis star spreads misinformation
Months ago, the 34-year-old made headlines after he aired his thoughts about COVID-19 vaccines. Even before jabs became available, he already said he was opposed to vaccination.
He later said that he would be open-minded about COVID-19 vaccines, but he also wants to make his own decisions about his body.
According to the BBC, this isn't the first time Djokovic verbalized his unfounded scientific claims.
In his book "Serve to Win," the athlete talked about a 2010 instance wherein he felt considerably weaker while holding bread in his left hand and pressing down on his right arm. He concluded that this showed he has gluten intolerance.
However, Dr. David Nunan, a senior researcher at the University of Oxford, said that while Djokovic's theory is probable, no scientific theory and practice support it.
