Tennis Australia ‘deeply regrets’ impact of Novak Djokovic saga

The tournament organisers acknowledged there were “lessons to learn”. World number one Djokovic, who has not had a Covid-19 vaccine, was deported from Australia on Sunday after losing a last-ditch court bid to stay.

Tennis Australia said it respected the court’s decision and hoped the focus could now switch to the tennis court.

“As the Australian tennis family, we recognise that recent events have been a significant distraction for everyone,” read a statement.

“There are always lessons to learn and we will review all aspects of our preparation and implementation to inform our planning - as we do every year.”

Serb Djokovic, 34, was granted a medical exemption to enter Australia by two independent health panels - one commissioned by Tennis Australia, the other by the state government of Victoria - after testing positive for coronavirus in mid-December.

However, the Australian Border Force detained the 20-time Grand Slam winner on 5 January for not meeting federal coronavirus requirements, and his visa was revoked.

A judge overturned that decision, but the government stepped in on Friday to revoke the visa again, saying it was in the public interest.

Men’s tennis governing body ATP called the saga a “deeply regrettable series of events”, while former British number one Andy Murray said the situation was “not good” for anyone.