Czech tennis player Renata Voracova has had her visa cancellation rescinded and she is free to return to Australia. Voracova, 38, arrived in Australia in late December after being granted a medical exemption. After Novak Djokovic tried to enter Australia via a special exemption, the things took a turn for the worse for Voracova – who also ended up detained and deported from the country.
Unlike Djokovic, Voracova didn’t want to fight to stay as she agreed to leave the country “as a lawful non-citizen.” However, Voracova getting her visa back doesn’t mean the same will happen with Djokovic as the Serb’s case is different to that of the Czech.
Voracova gets her visa back, Djokovic hopes for the same
“There was no evidence Ms Voracova failed to comply with her visa conditions,” tribunal’s vice-president and head of the migration and refugee division Jan Redfern wrote.
“She had followed all relevant rules and there was evidence she had relied on representations made to her by Tennis Australia and the Department of Health in Victoria about her medical exemption. I accept the submission that there was no law preventing Ms Voracova from entering Australia at the relevant time even though she was unvaccinated.
She truthfully answered the travel declaration and she had cogent medical evidence to support her exemption, being the evidence provided by her general practitioner about her vulnerability to thrombosis. Notably, Ms Voracova did not need to rely on the fact that she had previously contracted COVID-19 as a medical contraindication to vaccination because she had a medical basis to delay vaccination”.
After losing his appeal in court, Djokovic was deported from Australia and handed a three-year ban from entering the country. A week ago, Djokovic said he is hopeful Australia rescinds his Australia ban and allows him to compete at the Australian Open in January.
