Canberra, Jan 16: Tennis ace Novak Djokovic on Sunday said that although he is disappointed with the court’s decision, he respects the ruling after losing appeal against the Australian government’s decision to cancel his visa.
“I am extremely disappointed with the court ruling to dismiss my application for judicial review of the minister’s decision to cancel my visa, which means I cannot stay in Australia and participate in the Australian Open,” said Djokovic as quoted by CNN.
“I respect the court’s ruling and I will cooperate with the relevant authorities in relation to my departure from the country.
“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 would like to wish the players, tournament officials, staff, volunteers and fans all the best for the tournament.
“Finally, I would like to thank my family, friends, team, supporters, fans and my fellow Serbians for your continued support. You have all been a great source of strength to me,” he concluded.
The 34-year-old player’s quest for winning his 21st Grand Slam title has come to an end after the court rejected his appeal to stay in the country.
Djokovic was scheduled to play in the season’s first Grand Slam tournament, Australian Open, which begins on January 17.
