Novak Djokovic has returned home to his native Serbia after he was deported from Australia and prevented from defending his Australian Open tennis title.
A plane carrying the number one ranked player touched down in the capital on Monday, closing at least the first chapter in a dizzying drama that has resonance in the world of elite sports, Australian pandemic politics and the polarised debate over coronavirus vaccines.
A handful of fans waving the Serbian flag greeted him at Belgrade’s airport.
Djokovic has an almost iconic status in Serbia, and many there felt he was poorly treated by Australia.
But the tennis star’s troubles may not be over yet, as he could be barred from the French Open this year, under a new law intended to exclude the unvaccinated from stadiums and other public places.
Much could change between now and the start of the Grand Slam tournament in late May, but it raised the spectre that the recent saga in Australia would not be just a blip but an ongoing challenge for the athlete, who is increasingly being held up as a hero by the anti-vaccine movement.
A member of the French parliament, Christophe Castaner, said that the new law will apply to anyone who wants to play in the French Open – a reversal of earlier plans to create a “bubble” around the tournament.
“To do your job, to come for pleasure or leisure, to practise a sport, it will be necessary to present a vaccine. This will be valid for people who live in France but also for foreigners who come to our country for vacation or for a major sports competition,” sports minister Roxana Maracineanu told BFM television on Monday.
But some details of the law are still being hashed out – including how it will deal with people who have recently recovered from Covid-19, as Djokovic has.
The question is how recent the infection has to be to qualify for an exemption to vaccination rules.
France’s sports ministry said on Monday that once the law is in place, there will be no exceptions until further notice.
Djokovic is also the defending champion at Wimbledon, which begins in late June.
But so far, England has allowed exemptions from various coronavirus regulations for visiting athletes, if they remain at their accommodation when not competing or training.
The US Tennis Association, which runs the US Open, has said it will follow government rules on vaccination status.
It is also not clear when Djokovic could head back to Australia.
Deportation can lead to a three-year ban on returning to the country, although that can be waived, depending on the circumstances.
For now, a warm welcome awaits Djokovic, who has overwhelming support in his native Serbia where his closest family live.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has accused the Australian government of “harassing” the top-ranked tennis star and urged him to return home.
“God bless you Novak,” read one of the banners held by the fans at the airport as he was whisked through passport control and customs and then driven by his brother Djordje to his apartment in Belgrade.
The official Tanjug news agency reported that Djokovic’s mother Dijana said her son will remain in Belgrade in the coming days and will not make statements for the media.
Djokovic’s Australian saga began when he was granted an exemption to strict vaccination rules by two medical panels and the tournament organiser in order to play in the Australian Open because he had recently recovered from Covid-19.
He received a visa to enter the country through an automated process.
But upon arrival, border officials said the exemption was not valid and moved to deport him.
The initial news that the star had been granted the exemption sparked anger in Australia, where strict lockdowns in cities and curbs on international travel have been employed to try to control the spread of coronavirus since the pandemic began.
More than 95% of the top 100 men and women tennis players in their tours’ respective rankings are vaccinated.
At least two other men – American Tennys Sandgren and Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert – skipped the Australian Open due to vaccine requirements.
In the end, Australian authorities revoked Djokovic’s visa, saying his presence could stir up anti-vaccine sentiment and that kicking him out was necessary to keep Australians safe.
He was deported on Sunday, a day before the tournament got under way in Melbourne.
As the legal battle played out in Australia, Djokovic acknowledged that he had attended an interview in Belgrade in December with journalists from L’Equipe newspaper after testing positive for coronavirus.
He later described this as “an error” of judgment.
Asked if Djokovic would face any penalties for flouting his isolation while being infected when he returns to Serbia, Serbian officials said he would not because the country is not in a state of emergency.
Djokovic is a national hero in Serbia, whose president had called the court hearing in Australia “a farce with a lot of lies”.
“Novak, welcome home, you know that we all support you here,” said Snezana Jankovic, a Belgrade resident.
“They can take away your visa, but they cannot take away your Serbian pride.”
