Doubles player Renata Voracova has also been detained in the same hotel as Novak Djokovic after the Australian Border Force revoked her visa.
The 38-year-old Voracova had arrived in Australia last month using medical exemption. She also played a warm-up event in Melbourne.
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But with the ABF ramping up investigation after the exemption mess involving Djokovic, her visa was also cancelled on Thursday. She has been taken to immigration detention and may be deported.
This is wrong on so many levels. She's already competed. She is covid recovered so probably the least dangerous person to be around. This isn't about health anymore, it's political. https://t.co/yXR31Pfae8
— Nicole Melichar-Martinez (@nicole_melichar) January 7, 2022
Look I definitely believe in taking action, I got vaccinated because of others and for my mums health, but how we are handling Novak’s situation is bad, really bad. Like these memes, headlines, this is one of our great champions but at the end of the day, he is human. Do better.
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) January 7, 2022
The ABF confirmed that action has been taken against a third person but refused to divulge details.
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“One individual has voluntarily departed Australia … and the visa of a third individual has been cancelled,” the ABF said.
According to Middle Eastern newspaper, The National (UAE), Voracova wrote to her doubles partner, Mayar Sherif of Egypt, that she had been detained.
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“I don’t know if you heard about AO [Australian Open] exemption cases,” Voracova told Sherif on Friday.
“Unfortunately I’m the one and I’m not allowed to play AO by Australian borders.
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“I’m really sorry, but this just happened overnight and they denied my visa, I could do nothing with it. Hope we can play somewhere else with better circumstances.”
The Czech Foreign Ministry has ordered a ‘please explain’ from Australian officials.
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“We can confirm that Czech tennis player Renata Voracova is in the same detention as Djokovic, together with several other players,” the Czech Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“We submitted through our embassy in Canberra a protest note and are asking for an explanation of the situation.
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“However, Renata Voracova decided to drop out of the tournament due to limited possibilities for training and to leave Australia.”
Meanwhile, tennis players have rallied behind Djokovic, who has been denied entry into Australia and is held up at a hotel in Melbourne.
Cheap…cheap moves…cheap shots…cheap alternatives…cheap explanations…cheap political points…a lot of fake tough guys in this cheap witch hunt…
— Janko Tipsarevic (@TipsarevicJanko) January 7, 2022
“Look I definitely believe in taking action, I got vaccinated because of others and for my mums health, but how we are handling Novak’s situation is bad, really bad,” Nick Kyrgios wrote on twitter.
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“Like these memes, headlines, this is one of our great champions but at the end of the day, he is human. Do better.”
