Allison Langdon has taken aim at the Novak Djokovic visa debacle.
The Today co-anchor described the series of events that saw the World No.1 in court twice before eventually being deported on Sunday as ‘messy’ and ’embarrassing’.
Writing in the Today Show newsletter, the 42-year-old called the calamity ‘a little distraction in the lead up [to the Australian Open] which we don’t need to dwell on.’
Not impressed: Allison Langdon (pictured) has taken aim at the Novak Djokovic visa debacle
‘It was messy, embarrassing, but now we are focused on the court,’ Langdon continued, before turning to more positive matters.
‘It was nice to kick off day one of our show and the Australian Open with an Ash Barty win. Gee she looked good.’
Her comments come after Tennis Australia finally broke its silence over the debacle.
The board apologised for the ‘distraction’ it has caused ahead of the Grand Slam.
Debacle: The Today co-anchor described the series of events that saw the world No.1 in court twice before eventually being deported on Sunday as ‘messy’ and ’embarrassing’
Without once mentioning Djokovic by name, TA on Tuesday night issued a statement offering ‘deep regret’ for how the sorry affair had affected all of the other players at Melbourne Park.
The governing body has also pledged to review its handling of the saga – but not until after the Australian Open is won and done.
Djokovic’s desperate attempt to have his visa reinstated in two Federal Court cases led to the Open draw being delayed by more than an hour last Thursday, the day-one schedule being held up by almost 24 hours and left many of the world No.1’s peers fed up.
The blame game is now on in earnest, with Open tournament director and Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley, the TA board, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, the federal government and Djokovic himself all copping heat.
Tennis Australia has broken its silence over the Novak Djokovic saga by apologising for the ‘distraction’ caused to the Australian Open. Pictured: Djokovic and TA CEO Craig Tiley
‘As the Australian tennis family, we recognise that recent events have been a significant distraction for everyone, and we deeply regret the impact this had on all players,’ a statement from the board said.
‘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.
‘That process always starts once the Australian Open champions have lifted their trophies.’
A normally omnipresent figure at the Open, Tiley has been mostly conspicuous by his public absence throughout the opening two days.
The long-time tournament director has also yet to publicly address his involvement in one of the biggest scandals to hit the sport.
The fiasco began 13 days ago when Djokovic was detained at Melbourne Airport by Australian Border Force officials for failing to produce the necessary paperwork to enter the country.
The nine-times champion believed a medical exemption from TA was sufficient, before being advised he didn’t have any special allowance against being vaccinated.
Djokovic left Melbourne on Sunday after three federal court judges unanimously ruled he did not have grounds to dispute Immigration Minister Alex Hawke’s visa cancellation
He spent four nights in an immigration hotel before winning his first case in the Federal Circuit court on a technicality.
But four days later, Immigration Minister Alex Hawke exercised his discretionary powers to revoke Djokovic’s visa for a second time.
The Serbian star then failed in a last-ditch bid to have his visa restored in a Federal Court hearing on Sunday when three judges unanimously ruled against the Serb.
His name was taped over on the official draw of the Australian Open with the player flying back to Serbia just hours later.
Lawyers for Djokovic and the federal government on Sunday duelled over his potential impact on anti-vaccination sentiment in Australia as more than 85,000 people watched the case broadcast live on YouTube.
Djokovic’s lawyers argued that Mr Hawke failed to consider the way anti-vaxxers would be energised by a government decision to deport Djokovic, and had been too fixated on the risks posed by his ongoing presence.
Mr Hawke said he assumed Djokovic had recently been infected with Covid and was a ‘negligible’ risk of transmitting the disease to anybody else.
Novak Djokovic (pictured with Craig Tiley in 2019) could be banned from entering Australia for three years after his visa was cancelled
Instead, the immigration minister cited Djokovic’s high profile and previous statements against vaccination that meant others might refuse to be vaccinated and could even lead to civil unrest.
Legal experts had considered that Djokovic faced an uphill battle given the broad power Mr Hawke has under the Migration Act to cancel the visa.
Fellow 20-times grand slam champion Rafael Nadal has been among his professional peers saying Djokovic wouldn’t be in this mess had he been vaccinated like the other estimated 97 per cent of players.
He now faces being ousted from the French Open after politicians voted in a law banning all unvaccinated people from entering sports areas.
France’s lower house voted by 215 to 58 to give final approval to a vaccine pass that will exclude the unvaccinated from restaurants, sports arenas and other venues.
It will apply to everybody over the age of 16 and the law is expected to take effect by the end of the week, throwing Djokovic’s appearance at Roland Garros into doubt.
His name was taped over on the official draw of the Australian Open with the player (pictured on his flight to Belgrade) flying back to Serbia just hours later
Unvaccinated Novak Djokovic landed in Belgrade, the Serbian capital, on Monday to a hero’s welcome after being deported from Australia amid a visa debacle
The Melbourne visa debacle has captured global attention and drawn condemnation from the Serbian government.
Djokovic’s outraged father labelled it an ‘assassination attempt’ against his son and President Aleksandar Vucic accused Australian officials of ‘lying’.
Serbian Sports Minister Vanja Udovicic denounced the move as ‘hypocrisy’, offering his support to the ‘best player’ in the world.
Fans gathered outside Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla airport on Monday morning chanting ‘You are our champion, Novak!’ as the tennis star touched down.
Supporters held a banner reading ‘Novak, God bless you’, and waved Serbian flags as the tennis star received a hero’s welcome in his home city.
Having his visa cancelled also carries a three-year ban from entering Australia, while Djokovic’s future participation at the other three grand slams is under a cloud unless he gets vaccinated.
In an interview with the Today Show on Monday, Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews confirmed the three year ban was the outcome of the court decision.
‘The visa was cancelled by [Immigration] Minister Hawke,’ Ms Andrews said.
‘That cancellation was upheld by the Federal Court, so as a result of that, he will be banned from entry for three years into the country.’
Ms Andrews acknowledged there were some ‘issues’ around the interview process after the world No.1 was stopped at Melbourne Airport but Djokovic was not entitled to enter the country – despite being granted a visa before arriving.
Djokovic’s future participation at the other three grand slams is under a cloud unless he gets vaccinated (pictured, the Serbian tennis star stands with Craig Tiley in 2021)
The Melbourne visa debacle has captured global attention and drawn condemnation from the Serbian government (pictured, Djokovic takes photos with fans at Nikola Tesla Airport)
The 34-year-old superstar (pictured back in Serbia) said he was ‘extremely disappointed’ with the court’s decision not to overturn his cancelled visa
‘Anyone coming into Australia it is their responsibility that they are meeting the entry requirements… just because you have a valid visa does not guarantee you will be able to enter Australia,’ she said.
‘What was given to Mr Djokovic on arrival in Australia – before he cleared our immigration processes – was the opportunity to be able to produce the documentation that was needed, which he could not.’
Ms Andrews said should Djokovic return to Australia with compelling reasons in the future ‘that may be looked at but that’s all hypothetical at this point.’
PM Scott Morrison, and millions of Australians, also supported the move, with the prime minister saying he ‘welcomed the decision to keep our borders strong’.
He did add that despite the three-year ban there could be room for the tennis ace to travel back to Australia.
‘It does go over a three-year period but there is the opportunity for them to return in the right circumstances, and that will be considered at the time’.
Mr Morrison was also forced to dismiss bizarre claims by the Serbian president that the tennis superstar’s prolonged stints in immigration detention amounted to ‘physical torture’.
‘Well, it’s very clear that Australia has not tortured Mr Djokovic.’ Mr Morrison told 2GB on Monday.
‘I will cooperate with the relevant authorities in relation to my departure from the country,’ Djokovic (pictured) said in a statement as he left the country
Djokovic’s visa was first cancelled by Australian Border Force officials when he touched down in Melbourne on January 5 on the basis that he didn’t have an exemption from the requirement to be vaccinated.
That decision was revoked through a federal court appeal and the visa reinstated on Monday, allowing the elite athlete to be temporarily freed from a notorious immigration detention facility.
Days later, he was carted back to the hotel after Mr Hawke overruled the decision, citing ‘public risk’ concerns after reports emerged the high-profile athlete was being investigated in Serbia and Spain over potential Covid breaches.
Djokovic, who has been ordered to pay the federal government’s legal costs, said he was ‘extremely disappointed’ with the court’s decision to dismiss his application but that he respected its ruling.
‘I will cooperate with the relevant authorities in relation to my departure from the country,’ he said.
‘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 will now be taking some time to rest and to recuperate, before making any further comments beyond this.’
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